Kokoro No Kaitou: Amaya's Story :1:
by Dark Chobit
Summary: AU: Youko OC Amaya is a princess, but she longs for the life of a normal person. So when opportunity arises, she helps Youko Kurama escape from the dungeon he's being kept in. Will she fall for the thief? Or will she be the one to steal his heart?
1. Takahashi Amaya

Kokoro No Kaitou   
  
~*~   
  
He seemed different from the moment I first spotted him. He _looked_ like a human.   
  
But that wasn't what they told me.   
  
They called him a demon.   
  
A brutal one.   
  
How can one so childish looking be the one that caused the death of so many of my people?   
  
Those beautiful bottle green eyes. They held such playful innocence, though he himself was not.   
  
Perhaps I should start at the beginning?   
  
I think I will.   
  
~*~   
  
I'll start with myself. My name is Takahashi Amaya. My father is the Shogun of this land, Takahashi Kenji. He is one of the richest lords in the country, and he isn't modest about it either. My mother is a wonderful woman, Takahashi Akina. A former geisha.   
  
He's quite proud of showing off his family, as well. You see, there are twelve of us. I have one brother, also by the name of Kenji. My brother is an excellent archer, and swordsman. My father brags about him all of the time.   
  
My sisters, all ten of them, are very beautiful. Each has suitors beyond her dreams, seeking her delicate hand in marriage. They are the perfect, traditional wife that every lord wants. Trained in flower arraignments, tea ceremonies, and other geisha skills. Entertainers.   
  
What about me? That is what you're asking.   
  
Well, I myself am the 'misfit'. The 'black sheep' of the family. Shunned by my sisters for not holding their same beauty. Where they all have flowing, glossy black hair that fell well past their ankles, I did not. I had brown hair, the color of bark on a tree. It was stubborn and coarse, refusing to grow past my shoulder blades at most. And my eyes…oh, Kami-sama, if anything makes me an outcast, it's my eyes. My sisters have beautiful dark eyes, whilst I have orbs that match the churning sea. That odd bluish green swirl. But I am full-blooded Japanese! It is impossible, seeing as how my mother has brown eyes and my father black. It makes no sense!   
  
Anyways, my father was constantly trying to find a suitor for me. He was determined to see me married and with sons before he died. He wanted every one of his children to have strong, healthy sons. A normal wish for any father, shogun or not. But no other lord would have me. Perhaps it was because of my boyishness? My lack of any finesse? Not necessarily clumsy, but definitely a klutz. Or maybe because of the fact that I couldn't arrange flowers to save my life? And that I knew nothing of tea? That all of my childhood was spent in the woods surrounding our land, playing with the animals and getting covered in mud and dirt? Most likely.   
  
Still, my mother would dress me in my finest kimono (one that had belonged to she herself as a geisha) and put make-up on my face. White paint to make me look as pale as the _tsuki_, the moon. Then, she reddened my lips until they stuck out like a sore thumb. She then painted on fake eyebrows, which I hated. Then, she did my hair up into a tight hairstyle (I'm not sure what it's called, but it hurt my head with it's weight) and adorned my already sore head with jewels.   
  
She told me I looked beautiful.   
  
But upon seeing myself in the reflective glass in my mirror, I wanted to gag.   
  
I looked so…_fake_.   
  
I loved it back when I could just run around in my plain yukata and secure my hair with a simple string. That was my natural 'beauty'. Not this fake face, painted so expertly by my mother, who had once had the process done to her so that she would attract the right man for her.   
  
But I didn't want a man.   
  
I was only sixteen! Still a child in mind, but not in body.   
  
Still, I was brought down to the main entrance, where I would greet the man that was going to be a possible suitor, and possible husband. I tried to act pleasant while I waited for him to arrive, if only to please my parents.   
  
He came, and he was quite ugly. He was old, at least twice my age, and fat as Buddha. No matter how repulsive he was, I was supposed to smile kindly at him. I took his arm as I had been taught about fifteen minutes prior, and led him to the dining room, where he would meet my father.   
  
My father smiled warmly as we entered, and dismissed me.   
  
And that was it.   
  
I spent over three hours getting beautified, just to lead a fat old man to my father.   
  
How exciting.   
  
Still, I was relieved, and retired my room to remove these burdens and to take a nice hot bath.   
  
~*~   
  
After I had retired for the night, I changed into a simple white yukata. By the time I had gotten all of the make-up off, it was very late at night, and my suitor had left. My father had not sent for me, which could either be good news or bad. Either he had decided that I was not going to marry this man, or I was, and he was just too lazy to tell me tonight.   
  
I sighed and started to brush the tangles from my damp brown locks, as I absent-mindedly stared out of my open doorway.   
  
Suddenly, I heard the shouts of the samurai outside our home, and cheers from others.   
  
The only part I could make out from the rejoicing ruckus outside were the words 'kitsune' and 'caught'. Some one had caught a kitsune? I stood and went to my door, as the cheers grew louder and closer.   
  
The samurai were heading past my door, each giving me a slight bow before continuing on their way to the dungeons, which were located a slight distance from my room. They had a boy with them.   
  
And if I thought that I had stuck out like a sore thumb, then this boy was really outrageous. He had hair the color of blood, and very fair skin. He was being half dragged-half carried along with the warriors. He was sporting many wounds, some deeper than others. He was favoring his right leg as he walked, and l could tell that any spirit he had once had was now completely diminished. Then, he looked at me weakly as they passed.   
  
Those gorgeous green orbs meeting mine sent a chill down my spine that I will never forget.   
  
Of course, as soon as he had set eyes on me, one of the guards proceeded to hit him with a wooden stick, and I winced at the sound it made. The boy cried out, and fell to his knees, coughing up some blood.   
  
One of the guards roughly picked him up and shoved him towards the others, who made him continue to the dungeon.   
  
I stuck my head entirely out of the door and watched as they took him to that dark, dank prison at the end of the hall.   
  
Was that the kitsune everyone was shouting about?   
  
He looked so…_human_.   
  
When they were out of sight, I gently slid my door closed, thinking over the situation.   
  
That boy just couldn't be a kitsune!   
  
But, there was a mystic air about him, so I wasn't quite sure.   
  
Sighing, I walked over to my futon and got under the covers, and fell into a deep sleep.   
  
I could find out everything in the morning.   
  
~*~   
  
Author's Notes: So, how was that for a first chapter? Should I continue? 


	2. Dungeon Visit

Kokoro No Kaitou : Chapter 2   
  
~*~   
  
That night, I had the strangest dream. I dreamt of a full moon, it's milky light bathing the world in beauty. I felt a strange longing well up in my heart, a longing for the moon. But why? Why would I feel longing for the moon? I didn't understand it then, though I do now.   
  
I also dreamt of a man, one bathed in that same milky light. My father would be ashamed if he heard that I was dreaming of strange men, but at the time, it didn't matter to me.   
  
He was a _handsome_ man, that's for sure.   
  
Tall, at least two heads taller than myself, with silver hair the length of my own. And he had breath-taking golden eyes. He was clothed in all white, from his shirt right down to his shoes. And the oddest thing about him was his ears and tail. Both were slightly darker silver than his hair, and looked silky soft to the touch.   
  
He was standing there, watching me with an unreadable expression. As if he were expecting me to do something worth watching.   
  
I saw my hand reach out for him, and he reached out his own as well, and then-   
  
Someone was shaking my shoulder, rousing me from my dream of the handsome man. The servant lowered her eyes in respect.   
  
"Forgive me, Hime-sama, but your father requests your presence." She said in a lightly shaking voice.   
  
I sighed and sat up, dismissing her. My father wanted to see me, eh?   
  
I knew he was going to tell me whether or not the man from the night before would be my husband or not.   
  
So, I quickly ran a brush through my hair and changed into a nice kimono, a bright red one with golden sakura blossoms floating gently across the bottom. I walked out of my room, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and yawning. I walked quickly and deliberately towards my father's quarters, where I had taken the fat old man to the night before.   
  
However, the only thoughts on my mind at the moment were of the red-haired boy from the previous night.   
  
I knocked lightly on the door, and my father's warm voice answered back.   
  
"Amaya, come in."   
  
I did as I was told, and gently slid the door closed behind me. I bowed to my father, who was sitting on the floor, a paper before him. I folded my kimono underneath me as I kneeled as well.   
  
"You called for me, Father?"   
  
He nodded. "Hai. It's about that man. His name is Akira, and he has shown a great interest in you. He has asked for your hand in marriage, and I'm seriously considering his offer."   
  
I tensed, but forced a smile to match his own. "Is that so, Father?"   
  
He nodded and picked up the paper, his eyes scanning over it before looking at me again. "Amaya, he has offered many great things for you hand. A fortune. This family would be wealthy!"   
  
It was starting to look like I was going to be marrying that fat old man after all.   
  
"You are dismissed, Amaya."   
  
I stood and bowed once more in respect before leaving the room. As soon as I had closed the door behind me, I was fuming. I hated being treated like a piece of property! 'This family will be wealthy' he says. How insensitive!   
  
As I stormed down the hall, I forced myself to calm down. I could worry about that later. The decision wasn't permanent yet.   
  
But, I was still curious about the red-haired captive in the dungeon.   
  
I reached my room, stopping briefly to change out of my nice kimono and into a brown yukata - I remember the conditions of that dungeon, and I wasn't about to ruin a perfectly good kimono just to visit a prisoner. I had only seen the dungeon once, as a child. I had been playing with a rubber ball when it had bounced down the dark dank steps and into the abyss below. I had been scared, seeing as how I was at the tender age of three, but I had swallowed my fears and made the trek into the place anyways.   
  
I still have nightmares about what I saw down there that day.   
  
Men, thin - nothing but skin and bone, moaning in the darkness. Reaching out with their pasty hands, begging for any food that I could spare. The newer ones were rowdy and loud, yelling rude things to me as I scooped up my ball.   
  
Needless to say, I never made a return trip.   
  
Before I realized what had happened, I was standing before those dark, dank stairs once more. I could hear the loud moans from where I stood, as could I smell the stench of those who hadn't bathed in months.   
  
Holding my yukata sleeve to my nose, I walked down the stairs, taking care not to slip and fall. The stairs seemed to go on forever before they ended.   
  
One guard stood there, lazily chewing on a blade of grass. He looked lazily over at me, and then seemed to realize who I was.   
  
"Hime-sama!" He said, standing straight up and then bowing deeply. He did not rise. "What brings my Princess down to these lowly parts?"   
  
I was at a loss for words for a second. What would I tell him? That I had seen a handsome boy that I wanted to meet?   
  
"I believe someone was brought here last night." I said slowly.   
  
He looked up at me from his bowed position. "Hime-sama? What about the prisoner brought here last night?"   
  
"I'd…like to see him."   
  
"But, Hime-sama, he's a dangerous demon! A brutal, murdering monster of a demon! It's dangerous to be near him!"   
  
I wasn't about to be shot down that easily. "Listen, you will bring me to him whether you like it or not. Otherwise, my father will hear about how you refused my wishes."   
  
This seemed to make the man see from my point of view.   
  
He straightened. "Very well, Hime-sama."   
  
He started walking down the dark and narrow hallway, grabbing a torch from off of the wall. I followed him as he led me down the twisting, snaking corridor, my geta sticking lightly to the floor when I walked. People were reaching out to me, and I felt guilty. Here I was, trotting around in my clean yukata, while they were starving and dirty in the basement, without a drop of sunlight to lighten the burdens on their souls.   
  
The man in front of me stopped, and I almost ran into him. He turned to me with a pleading look in his eyes. "Hime-sama, please reconsider what you're about to do."   
  
I gave him a firm glare. "I'm sure."   
  
He heaved a sigh and turned to a large wooden door, sticking a key into one of the seven locks in the old wood.   
  
"Very well. If it is my Lady's wish to see this scoundrel, then it shall be so. However, should he try anything, please, call for me. I shall be right outside the door along with three other guards, and we shall immediately come and help my Lady."   
  
I nodded and he finished with the rest of the locks. He opened the door for me, and after I had entered the pitch-black room, he placed the torch in the holder and left me. The wooden door closed with a soft thud.   
  
I blinked while my eyes got used to the dimness of the room.   
  
The boy was sitting there, on the floor, eyeing me warily. He had quite a bit more bruises than the night before, letting me know that someone had beaten him since I had last saw him.   
  
Again, a shiver ran down my spine when his green orbs met my blue-green ones.   
  
"Can I help you, milady?" He asked in a kind voice, ringing with politeness.   
  
Suddenly, I felt foolish. I had come all the way down here, determined to see this boy, only to come face to face with him and have nothing to say.   
  
I decided to start with introductions, and see where it went from there.   
  
"My name is Amaya, sir. And yours?"   
  
Again, he eyed me carefully before replying. "You may call me Kurama. How would you like me to address you?"   
  
I must have been gaping at him like a fish! Nobody had ever asked me how I wanted to be addressed-they had always referred to me with the utmost respect automatically.   
  
He raised an eyebrow, and I found myself blushing. That's right! He didn't know that I was the daughter of the Lord here! He must have thought that I was a servant, with the way that I was dressed the night before.   
  
"Please, Amaya will do just fine."   
  
"Alright, Amaya-san." He said.   
  
I loved the way my name sounded when it came from his mouth.   
  
"I saw you yesterday." He said. "You were the pretty woman in the white yukata."   
  
I nodded, blushing again. I was thankful for the dim light-hopefully he wouldn't see me acting like such a lovesick child. But I wasn't lovesick, I was just…I wasn't sure. Flattered, maybe?   
  
He smiled kindly and moved to sit up straight, only to fall back again with a cry of pain.   
  
"Daijobu ka?" I asked, concerned for the boy's health.   
  
"I'm fine. I'm sorry you have to see me in such a state." He said, smiling again. "Normally, I don't lay around moaning."   
  
I giggled. "Kurama-san, why are you in here, anyways?"   
  
"Apparently, they have mistaken me for someone else." He said.   
  
I nodded slowly. My eyes drifted to his fresh wounds. "Did the guards…hurt you?"   
  
He seemed surprised by my question. "Hai, milady. For refusing arrest. Or so they said."   
  
"Well that's hardly fair." I said, putting a hand on my hip. "They have fed you, right?"   
  
He shook his head, and I it was my turn to be surprised. "Not even a little bit?"   
  
Again, he shook his head. "Iie, they haven't fed me or gave me water."   
  
How could the guards neglect to feed the prisoners? They may have been criminals - some of them anyways - but they were still human beings.   
  
Speaking of humans, hadn't the guard said that this boy was a brutal demon? He sure didn't look like one.   
  
Now, I was full of motivation again. I was going to make sure that this boy was fed! And properly, might I add.   
  
I gave him a slight bow - I had decided not to let him know that I was the Lord's daughter. I liked being treated like an equal, not like a princess. So, I was going to let him believe that I was a servant to the princess.   
  
"Well, I really must be going now, Kurama-san. Would it bother you if I visited you again tomorrow?"   
  
He smiled kindly again. "Not at all, Amaya-san. I would very much enjoy your company. It makes my situation seem much less dreary to have a beautiful woman such as yourself around to talk with."   
  
I blushed, and averted my gaze. I knew that if I looked into those emerald green orbs, he might see my feelings showing themselves. Which was not what I wanted.   
  
"Alright then. I'll come back tomorrow."   
  
I turned and started to leave, and he called after me.   
  
"Oi, Amaya-san!"   
  
I turned back to him, curious as to what he had to say.   
  
He smiled kindly again. "Oyasumi nasai, Amaya-san."   
  
I returned the gesture. "Oyasumi nasai, Kurama-san."   
  
I left then, and the guard locked the door behind me.   
  
"Hime-sama, did he say anything to you? Anything that offended you?" He asked, trailing along behind me as I walked back down the corridor. I whirled on him, and he jumped, quickly lowering his eyes in respect.   
  
"No, but he did mention that he hasn't been fed anything at all since he arrived here! I want you to have the cooks make a proper meal for everyone here tonight."   
  
He opened his mouth to protest, and then seemed to decide against it. "Demo, Hime-sama, your father, Takahashi-sama, has a policy of not feeding his prisoners. H-He say that they d-don't deserve to be fed. I-I can't just go against his orders. Gomen nasai, Hime-sama."   
  
I bristled. Well, it appears that if no one was going to feed him, I'd have to do it myself!   
  
Deciding that he could survive the night, I retired to my room and changed into my sleeping yukata. I closed my door to make sure that everyone thought that I was going to sleep, and then sat by my other door, which led out to the gardens of my family's estate. I sat there, staring out into the yard, then my eyes drifted up to the waxing moon. Two days ago tonight, the moon had disappeared from the sky, and it was currently growing now.   
  
I remembered my dream, and the silver-haired man from it. He had been a kitsune, now that I thought about it. He had had fox ears atop his head, and a tail. But why would I dream of someone like that? I'd never seen a kitsune in my life, so how could I _dream_ of one? I had, of course, _heard_ of them before. They were known tricksters, always playing pranks on mortals and the like.   
  
Maybe it meant that someone was trying to trick me…   
  
As I glanced back up at the celestial body in the sky, my heart started to ache.   
  
There it was again, that strange longing.   
  
But why? Why was I longing for the _tsuki_?   
  
I shook my head to rid myself of the feeling, and looked back over at my futon. Would anyone notice if I just ran away? Not until morning. It would solve quite a few problems if I did. I wouldn't have to marry anyone that I didn't want to, and everyone, not just Kurama, would treat me as an equal. That would be wonderful.   
  
But it was also cowardly.   
  
Running away was _not_ the solution.   
  
My head started to throb lightly, telling me that I needed sleep.   
  
I obeyed, and my body and mind were both grateful for the rest.   
  
~*~   
  
That night, I had the same dream. Of the _mochidzuki_, the full moon, and of the silver-haired man. Only this time, the scene changed to another time, and it was of Kurama. He smiled kindly at me as he had the night before, and said something to me. However, though his lips were moving, no sound came out.   
  
What was he trying to say?   
  
~*~   
  
Author's Notes: Yeah, I know, I know. Boring chapter. Still, the real action comes in the next chapter, when we discover something slightly odd about Akira…   
  
I'd like your opinion: Should I have Hiei in the story? It is an AU, and I can have him be one of Youko's thieving partners. Should I add him in? And Kuronue? Should I add him in as well?   
  
Well, please review and tell me what you think. If you want your opinion to be heard, then you have to get the review in to me by February 29, 2004. That's this Sunday.   
  
Also, I'll be trying to update regularly, about once a week on Thursdays. I figure that that will work for everyone.   
  
Thanks go out to:   
  
**Alucard The No Life King:** Thank you! You're my first reviewer, making YOU my new best friend! LOL   
  
**Kaija Katake:** Thank you!!   
  
**passerby:** Thanks! 


	3. Some Shocking News And A Great Escape

Kokoro No Kaitou : Chapter 3   
  
~*~   
  
I carefully tucked away the wrapped parcel, trying not to squash its contents. I was getting ready to go down to the dungeon and see Kurama. I glanced outside, to where the sun was setting below the horizon. I felt terrible for not going earlier, but I had had those stupid tea ceremony lessons to attend, and which had been torture to go through. Well, I just hope he liked the meal that I was bringing him.   
  
Stuffed into my yukata were three rice balls, each carefully wrapped, some _tempura_ - also wrapped carefully- and some _norimaki_. I had everything wrapped by the chefs, telling them that I was going to go for a stroll in the garden, where I said I would be eating my dinner.   
  
I picked up the small canteen of tea, and tucked it into my obi.   
  
I looked fat, but that didn't matter - no one would really care in the dungeon anyways.   
  
I stepped out of my room and walked down the hall to the dungeon's steps. I lifted up my yukata skirt slightly so as not to trip on it and made my way down the treacherous stairwell.   
  
~*~   
  
The guard had recognized me immediately this time, and led me to Kurama's cell, unlocking it for me and holding open the door so that I may enter.   
  
He was sitting on the floor again, looking the same as he did before.   
  
Good.   
  
That meant that no one had harmed him since my last visit.   
  
I smiled kindly and walked over to his side, kneeling down beside him and taking out the tucked away food. I laid it out nicely on a cloth before him, then sat back so that he may eat without me hindering his path.   
  
I giggled slightly at the look on his face. I was almost positive that if I had not been in his presence, he would have drooled over the meal that I presented to him.   
  
He looked at me, not touching the food yet. "Are you sure? I can share, if you'd like."   
  
I shook my head. "Iie. You're hungry. Please, go ahead." I gestured to the food.   
  
He gave me a lopsided grin. "Well, _itadakimasu_, then."   
  
He started shoveling the food into his mouth, and I could only smile at this cute boy.   
  
He stopped briefly to look at me, confusion dancing in his bottle green orbs. "But why are you doing this for me?"   
  
I was surprised by his question. "I guess…because I've never had a real friend before this. I wanted to help you."   
  
He didn't reply, and started eating again, albeit more slowly.   
  
When he had finished, he gave me a half-smile. "Thank you, Amaya-san."   
  
"You're welcome." I replied automatically.   
  
"Amaya-san? What day is it today?"   
  
"Well, Tanabata is in exactly one week." I said, looking thoughtful. I still had to pick out a kimono. Then, I wrinkled my nose. My father would most likely make me go with Akira.   
  
And that was _not_ something that I wanted to do.   
  
"Oi! Oi, Amaya-san!" Kurama said, waving a hand in front of my face, effectively snapping me out of my daze.   
  
"Gomen nasai, Kurama-san." I said. "I was just thinking about…things."   
  
"Nani? What about?"   
  
I found myself telling him everything. Everything from my possible-husband Akira to my strange dreams. Of course, I happened to exclude the handsome man, for fear of his reaction. I wasn't about to tell him about my mysterious kitsune who graced my dreams with his presence!   
  
Kurama listened patiently, nodding every once and again as I poured out my heart's built up emotions. When I finished, I bowed my head and brought my knees to my chest. I felt…relieved, in a way, at having gotten that off of my chest. My soul felt lighter now, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.   
  
"So, you don't want to marry this Akira, but your father is seriously considering it?" He asked.   
  
I nodded. "Yes…he's really a horrid man. He's very wealthy, but he comes across as either very lecherous or very greedy. I don't want to be married to that kind of man."   
  
"What kind of man _do_ you want to be married to?" Kurama asked.   
  
I stared at him, and he seemed to realize what he had just asked me.   
  
"Gomen, Amaya-san. It wasn't my place to ask you such a thing."   
  
I looked back down at the floor, partially to hide my blush. "That's alright. It just surprised me."   
  
Surprised. I had been surprised a _lot_ lately. More surprised than I had ever been in my entire life.   
  
We talked a little more after that, about various things. I told him about the upcoming festival, and he said he wished that he could go.   
  
I wished he could go too.   
  
Then, I wouldn't have to go with Akira.   
  
~*~   
  
For the next seven days, I visited Kurama in his cell regularly. I would bring him a hearty meal, and we would talk for around an hour or so.   
  
Needless to say, we became fast friends.   
  
And I kept having those strange dreams. Each time I did, the longing in my heart would increase. Longing not only for the moon, but for the mysterious kitsune. I tried to figure out what it all meant, but found that I could not.   
  
To my immense sadness, I was also told that I would be announced 'engaged' to Akira at the Tanabata festival. My father had called for a special meeting of the people of his estate after the celebration was done, where he would then announce our betrothal to them. Then, it would be official, and plans for our wedding would be under way.   
  
~*~   
  
On the morn of the seventh day, of Tanabata, I was woken earlier than normal to prepare for the day. I was dressed in a fine red silk _furisode_, with sleeves that trailed down almost to the floor. It had scenes of waterfalls and villages on it, near the base of the skirt and the ends of the sleeves. I would've loved it much more, had it not been for the fact that I was being dressed to impress.   
  
To impress _Akira_.   
  
And that certainly was last on my list of things that I wished to do.   
  
Still, the maids came in and made me look my best - even if my 'best' was fake. White make-up, and painted on eyebrows high on my forehead. Also, my teeth were blackened, as was the fashion, and my lips were painted a bright red. I felt dreadfully hot in my outfit, but I hoped not to have to be in it for long. I had already made up an excuse - once the festival had really gotten underway, I would claim to be feeling slightly ill, and I would retire for the rest of the day.   
  
In reality, I would be visiting Kurama and then I really would retire for the evening.   
  
My mother entered the room, smiling kindly at me. "Amaya-chan, you look truly beautiful. The perfect wife for a fine lord."   
  
I forced a smile. "Domo arigatou, 'Kaasan."   
  
"Are you ready to go? Akira-sama is waiting."   
  
_Can't you just **see** the joy radiating from me?_ I thought bitterly.   
  
My mother led me down the hall, to where my father and the fat old man were waiting us eagerly.   
  
Well, Akira had more of a lecherous look to him. Maybe a little _too_ eager to see me.   
  
He nodded his head slightly to acknowledge me, and I bowed stiffly. I suddenly felt tense and nervous around him, like he wasn't someone that I shouldn't ever be around. Maybe it was just because I really _was_ feeling slightly ill from my dreadful _furisode_ and it's weight?   
  
No. It was bigger than that. Something was warning me. Warning me to…run.   
  
"Ohayo, Amaya-sama." Akira said, grinning lecherously at me.   
  
"Konnichiwa, Akira-sama." I said, forcing the politeness into my voice. I hoped that he would get the message and treat me with the same respect.   
  
"Are you excited about our betrothal?" He asked.   
  
I thought about it for a second. What would happen if I lied? Most likely, it would only make things go worse for me in the long run.   
  
"Hai, Akira-sama." I said, forcing the words out of my mouth, hoping that they wouldn't warp themselves into my true feelings. What I really wanted to say was far from polite enough for a woman's mouth to form. Then again, that's what I get for playing with the boys as a child.   
  
"I am too."   
  
My father stepped in then and smiled at me. "Amaya-chan, I'm very proud that you're finally getting married."   
  
'Though not to whom I want to!' I wanted to shout.   
  
He wouldn't have listened anyways.   
  
~*~   
  
As planned, after the wish writing, I told my mother (my father was nowhere to be found, and neither was Akira. Not that I was complaining about that) that I felt ill, and retired for the evening.   
  
My father had yet to announce my engagement, of which I was also quite glad.   
  
I walked down the hall, eager to get out of this beastly _furisode_, and into a plain, lightweight yukata.   
  
As I walked, I heard voices. But who would be inside now while the festival was going on?   
  
I slowly approached the partially open door and listened in. I could see Akira sitting on the floor, talking to someone else whom I could not see.   
  
Akira grinned, and when he spoke, his voice was raspy and snakelike.   
  
"Hai, hai. She'll do finely. I cannot _wait_ until I can consume her. She'll add great power to me."   
  
I froze. Who was he talking about? _Me_?   
  
The other person replied in a voice that seemed…familiar somehow.   
  
"Do with her as you wish, Lord Snake, but I'm the one that gets the kitsune. The one that calls himself Kurama. He has caused me much grief, and I will see him beheaded on the morrow. Do we have a deal? The kitsune for the princess?"   
  
Akira chuckled in that horrible voice of his. "Hai, hai. I would do _anything_ for that young maiden's flesh."   
  
I covered my mouth to keep my lunch where it belonged. He planned on _killing_ Kurama and _eating_ me? Not if I had a say in it!   
  
I quickly slipped past the door and jogged to my room, ditching the outer layer of my _furisode_ in favor of the lightweight white yukata beneath. I grabbed a cloth and wiped off my face, ridding it of the white paint and red lips. I carelessly tossed my _furisode_ to the side.   
  
Besides, where I was going, I wouldn't _need_ a fancy kimono.   
  
I then grabbed some of my necessities, such as a necklace that I had had since birth, and a pouch containing a few gold coins. I shoved them into my obi, and ran back out into the hall, heading down the hall to the dungeon stairway.   
  
The sun was setting outside, casting an eerie orange glow over everything as I ran quickly down the stairs. There would be no guard to bar my path, because he was at the Tanabata festival as well.   
  
I was going to get Kurama, and we would escape together. That was the only thought racing through my head as I raced down the steps.   
  
Of course, in my haste, I tripped at the base of the steps and fell flat on my face.   
  
Once again, my grace comes back to haunt me at the worst moment.   
  
Sitting up and wincing slightly at the pain, I touched my cheek. When I pulled my hand back, there was blood on it.   
  
"Itai…" I said, standing again. I continued my run towards Kurama's cell, only with a bit more caution. I didn't need to break a bone trying to rescue my friend. I rushed to the door and grabbed the keys from the side, hurriedly unlocking each of the seven locks.   
  
The keys slipped from my hand, and fell to the floor, and I fumbled for them in the darkness. "Kami-sama, work with me!" I exclaimed.   
  
I froze when I heard someone at the top of the stairs. Obviously a guard come back to check on the prisoners.   
  
"_Shimatta_!" I cursed before I could stop myself. My groping hands found the keys and I quickly unlocked the rest of the locks. I threw open the door and rushed inside, closing it behind me.   
  
I couldn't see anything in the dark, and I strained my ears to listen for any movement.   
  
"Kurama-san! Kurama-san!" I called in a hoarse whisper, fearing that the guard may hear me.   
  
"Amaya-san?" Came the sleepy reply.   
  
I felt very relieved to hear his voice. "Kurama-san, we have to get out of here. It's Akira- he said he wants to kill you! I mean, someone wants to kill you; I'm not quite sure who. Oh Kami-sama, and he said he was going to _eat_ me!"   
  
"Eat you? What are you talking about?" Kurama's concern wasn't very well hidden.   
  
I froze when I heard footsteps fast approaching the cell.   
  
"Quickly, Kurama, if you want to live to see the daylight again, then you must come with me now! Please, for both our lives!"   
  
"Alright, alright. Stand away from the door, though."   
  
I blinked, but did as I was told, groping the walls for help. When I was away from the door, there was the sound of wood splintering, and I wondered what he had done to it.   
  
When the light from the torch came in, I knew my answer.   
  
Somehow, plants had shot up from the floor, and had torn right through the door, reducing it to small fragments of its former self.   
  
A guard was standing there, a look of shock on his face as he stared at Kurama.   
  
I looked over as well, and nearly gasped.   
  
His red hair had changed into a shimmering silver, and his innocent green orbs had turned into molten gold. He had gotten slightly taller, and his shoulders were broader. He had two kitsune ears poking out from his silver locks, and a tail to match. He wore all white.   
  
The kitsune from my dream.   
  
I must have gasped, because he glanced over at me briefly, and a flash of some unknown emotion went though his eyes.   
  
He then turned back to the guard at the door, who appeared to have wet himself at the sight of Kurama.   
  
Or should I say, _Youko_ Kurama.   
  
His trademark hair and ears gave him away.   
  
"K-Kami-sama! It's the bandit Youko Kurama!" The guard stuttered. He turned and started to run, but Youko was faster, slitting the poor man's throat before an alarm could be raised.   
  
However, he was not alone, and more guards started screaming, drawing their swords and trying to attack the gingitsune. However, none could lay a scratch on him, for they were dead before they could get within three feet of their target.   
  
Youko looked back to me. "Don't sit there staring- that is, unless you _like_ the idea of being a youkai's next meal."   
  
I pulled myself to my feet and stumbled out of the cell after him, still quite shaken by the sudden transformation.   
  
More guards came running down the hall, and Youko cursed. Before my mind could register what was happening, he picked me up the way a groom does with a bride, and started running down the hall, leaping high over the heads of the oncoming guards and continuing up the stairs until he reached the main hall. He stopped briefly to take a deep breath of the night air, and of his freedom, before continuing his run to the entrance of our home.   
  
I was clasping tightly to his shirt, for fear that I would fall. It wasn't that I was afraid that he would drop me - no, I felt as though being in his arms was the safest place I could be at the moment. It was the speed that we were going at that terrified me so. The walls and familiar hallways were turned into blurs of color as Youko ran past them.   
  
He burst through the front entrance, causing the people outside enjoying the festival to turn and stare.   
  
Youko looked around for a second, his delicate ears twitching slightly. Just as I had caught my breath and managed to hold down my lunch, he started running again. He ran through the crowd, past my mother and then towards the forest that bordered our home.   
  
But someone jumped in front of him, causing him to stop abruptly. He glared at the person who barred our path. The crowd stayed back, but stared anxiously to see what would happen next.   
  
My eyes widened. "Kenji-oniisan!"   
  
My brother kept a firm glare in place - however, it was directed at Youko, not me.   
  
"Kitsune, put my sister down now." Kenji warned, holding his bow and drawing an arrow. "Or you'll pay with your lowly life."   
  
I stared at my brother, and then looked up at Youko to see his reaction to the threat. To my surprise, he was smirking.   
  
"You want me to leave her here? Where she is in danger?" He asked, an arrogant tone to his voice. "I think not."   
  
"Danger? My sister is not in danger as long as she is here." Kenji aimed his arrow at Youko. "I'll protect her."   
  
Again, Youko smirked. "How can you protect your sister from demons who could kill you in an instant? Besides, I know damn well that you two aren't the _least_ bit related."   
  
Shock passed over Kenji's face, and it must have mirrored my own.   
  
"What are you talking about? Kenji _is_ my brother!" I protested.   
  
Without looking at me, his smirk faded. "I have demon senses that far surpass your ningen ones. You have a different scent from him. All of them. You are not from this family."   
  
Kenji's shocked expression turned into a sneer. "So what? We aren't related. What do you care? It doesn't affect you."   
  
Youko snorted. "It doesn't really. But you do. Now get out of my way- I'm not afraid to cut you down."   
  
"Leave the girl here."   
  
"Like hell. You're only going to give her to that demon." He retorted.   
  
"So? It only means a bright future for me. I don't care what happens to her." Kenji said.   
  
That was the last straw. The world started to spin, and then I slipped into darkness.   
  
~*~   
  
Author's Notes: Wai~! Another chappie done!   
  
Thanks go out to:   
  
**anime-fan993**: Thank you!   
  
**noeltoma26**: ^___^ I'm glad that you like it!!   
  
**kitsune16**: Love it? *smiles* Nobody's ever told me that they love my stories before. LIKED, nut not LOVED. Thankies!!   
  
**YoukoKurama**: You know that you're the only one that's voted on whether or not Hiei should be in the story? Well, if I did add him, he wouldn't flirt with Amaya or anything- more like he's there for comic relief. To tease Youko and Amaya about their feelings. What did you mean very touching? @__@ I'm so confused! I didn't take it as sarcastic though. I just don't see anything touching about my story-yet. More touching stuff will come!! …Oh god, that sounded WRONG! I meant that more fluff is on the way.   
  
Here's the deal: I'm going to add a Japanese dictionary thing at the end of a chapter where I don't use a common fanfiction term. If there's one that I've used, but isn't on this list, then leave me a review and I'll give you the definition in the next chapter. Okay?   
  
**_July 7: Tanabata:_** This is also called the Star Festival. It goes back to a legend that two stars, Altair (the cowherd star) and Vega (the weaver star) are lovers and allowed to meet only once a year.   
  
Children and adults write wishes on narrow strips of colored paper and hang them on bamboo branches in their backyards or at the entrance to their homes.   
  
This is another festival imported from China, during Japan's feudal period, but modified by the Japanese.   
  
It is also another time when stores compete with each other which put up large decorations and compete with each other to see which store can have the most attractive display.   
(This information was taken from http : / / www . bookmice . net / darkchilde / japan / jjul . html) Remember to delete the spaces in between.   
  
**_itadakimasu:_** Said before eating a meal. Means something along the lines of 'Thank you for the meal'.   
  
**_tempura_**: Japanese food. Seafood and vegetables deep fried in tempura batter.   
  
**_norimaki_**: Japanese food. Sushi rice and seafood, etc. rolled in dried seaweed sheets. There are countless varieties of sushi rolls differing in ingredients and thickness. Sushi rolls prepared "inside out" are very popular outside of Japan, but rarely found in Japan.   
  
Last chance: Hiei and Kuronue in the story? Just Hiei maybe? Or just Kuronue? Or niether? MAKE UP YOUR MINDS!! LOL. I'm sorry. I'm only kidding. But I would like your opinions. I'll shape the story to the majority's wants.   
  
Please review!!! Let your opinion be heard!!! 


	4. A First Meeting And A Rocky Start

Kokoro No Kaitou : Chapter 4   
  
LOL. In the last chapter, my friend pointed out to me that I (once again) made a typo. I put 'nut' instead of 'but'. Oops! Then again, it happens to the best of us, doesn't it? But I'm not the best, so does it really apply to me?   
  
Well, I'll try to make it long. I've got a really bad cold, and thus have an equally bad headache.   
  
~*~   
  
I was awoken by a cold splash of water hitting my face. I gasped and sat up, wiping the water from my eyes before looking for the culprit. Youko was crouched down next to me, an unreadable expression on his face. He looked either bored or slightly amused. It was hard to tell with him.   
  
My hand went to my head, where a dull throbbing had started.   
  
Youko's face remained unreadable. "Daijobu ka?"   
  
"I'm fine. Just a headache." I looked around. "Where are we?"   
  
"My den." Was the short reply.   
  
I looked around. We were in a room, a big circular room made of dark grey stone. The walls weren't decorated, with the exception of a full-length mirror near the door on the left side of the room. On the right side was another door, which I assumed was a closet. I was lying on a futon. It was large and sprawling, and it made me seem quite tiny in comparison. It had plain white sheets, and two large, fluffy pillows. It was fit for a king.   
  
Or a bandit king.   
  
I looked back to Youko, and was surprised to find him looking right back at me.   
  
I blushed. "Wh-what?"   
  
He reached out and gently touched my cheek, and I blinked. What was he doing?   
  
"What happened?" He asked, searching my eyes.   
  
What was he talking about? Nothing ha- then I realized that he was talking about the scratch I had gotten when my elegance had caught up with me.   
  
I blushed again and he pulled his hand away. "I just fell, that's all. I'm a real klutz."   
  
His expression never changed. "Does it hurt?"   
  
I shook my head. "I'd forgotten about it. What with everything else that's happened."   
  
"It was kind of a big shock for you, wasn't it?"   
  
I looked down at my hands lying idly in my lap. "Just a little…I grew up with Kenji and the others, but now it turns out that I'm not even related to them? But why was I even with them in the first place? Who are my real parents?"   
  
He shrugged and stood, brushing off his pants. "I don't know, nor do I know how to find out."   
  
I sighed. "Well, what next then? I can't go back, what with Akira there. And I've never actually left the estate before."   
  
"Just stay here with me." Youko said, moving to sit on the edge of the futon. "There's plenty of space for you."   
  
I smiled, though he couldn't see it. He was inviting me to stay with him? He really cared enough to offer something like that? I had thought that the legendary bandit Youko Kurama would be a ruthless, heartless fiend. But he wasn't…well, he seemed pretty arrogant, though.   
  
He glanced at me. "Well?"   
  
"Oh! I'm sorry. I'd love to stay with you." I offered him the best smile that I could muster, and he just nodded.   
  
After a minute, the silence became overwhelming.   
  
"Kurama, I mean, Youko or- well, first things first, how should I address you now?" I asked.   
  
He chuckled. "You can call me whatever you want to. I don't care. I've been called Youko by some, Kurama by others, and a rare few just call me 'kitsune'. I'm fine with all of those, but I would prefer it if you didn't call me kitsune."   
  
I giggled. "Well, I've become rather used to calling you Kurama, so that's how it will stay."   
  
He nodded, and the uneasy silence surrounded us again.   
  
"Kurama…what happened after I fell unconscious?"   
  
He looked thoughtful. "Nothing much. Kenji threatened me some more, and I just ran past him. Akira and some of his guards came as well, but they weren't much of a challenge. However, Akira ran away before I could kill him."   
  
"All of this with me still in your arms?" I asked, amazed.   
  
"They weren't very strong. I didn't need my hands to defeat them."   
  
I looked down at my hands in my lap, and sighed heavily. "This is really more excitement than I've ever had in my entire life."   
  
He smirked. "Well, I'm glad that you're having fun."   
  
"Fun? Ha! I've been engaged to a demon, broken a very wanted criminal out of jail, and I've discovered that my 'family' isn't really my family. I'm having the time of my life!" I said sarcastically. "And then I discovered that the dream that I've been having is of _you_, and-"   
  
He smirked, and this was the first time I could ever clearly read an emotion on his face- amusement.   
  
"You dreamt about me, Amaya?"   
  
My face heated up more than it ever had before, and I could easily assume that I was as red as my kimono back at home.   
  
"Um, well, maybe…"   
  
He kept his amused look. "You _have_ dreamt about me. It isn't wise to lie to a kitsune-we can _smell_ when people are being dishonest."   
  
I wrinkled my nose. "Well that's a bit odd."   
  
He shrugged. "It's useful." He smirked at me again. "Especially when you want to make a girl blush."   
  
I did.   
  
"So, Amaya, what _kind_ of dream did you have about me?" He asked, turning to face me and then sitting cross-legged on the futon.   
  
I glared. I knew what he was implying, and I was slightly angered that he would think that of me. "A _normal_ one. You didn't even say anything."   
  
He rested his chin on his hand. "Normally, I don't."   
  
I blushed again. "No, no! I mean, you were just standing there, looking at me. You didn't say anything, and there was a full moon behind you." I noticed his expression, and I added, "And you were _wearing clothes_, thank you very much."   
  
He started laughing, and I felt as though it were at my expense.   
  
He seemed to notice my glare, and stopped to wipe tears from his eyes. "Sorry, it's just that normally, women don't dream about me _clothed_."   
  
I was mortified. "H-Hentai! I would never dream about you like _that_!"   
  
He smirked. "Well then, we'll just have to find a way to change that, now won't we?" He seemed to notice my expression, and said, "Relax, I'm only kidding."   
  
"It wasn't very funny." I retorted.   
  
He looked like he was trying not to laugh.   
  
"Kurama?"   
  
"Hm?"   
  
"I…the Kurama that I became friends with, the one in the dungeon…" I searched for the right words. "You and him are the same person, right?"   
  
He nodded. "It was me, just in a human guise. So as not to confirm their beliefs that I was Youko Kurama."   
  
"Kurama…Akira…when he said that he wanted to…um, consume me, what did he mean? Does he really want to eat me?" I asked. My voice quivered as I said it, and I knew that I was terrified.   
  
"He meant that he wanted to eat you." He said, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. "Akira is a demon that can steal the abilities of others by consuming their flesh. You obviously had something that he wanted, even though I'm not quite sure what it is. You're a ningen, and ningens have no special abilities that a demon does not already possess. Unless," He eyed me suspiciously, "there's something that you aren't telling me."   
  
I was surprised. I leaned forward slightly, tilting my head to the side. "Demo…what do you mean by that? Are you implying that I'm hiding something from you?"   
  
He snorted. "Other than being a Princess of the Takahashi estate? You told me that you were a servant."   
  
My jaw dropped, and I quickly closed it again. I had hoped that he wouldn't find out…but then again, how could he not after seeing that the prince had called me his sister? "Ano…I liked it when you treated me as your equal. I thought…I thought that if I let you believe that I was a servant, that you'd treat me like a real person. Not a fake, porcelain doll that will break at the lightest of touches. I rather enjoyed not being called 'Hime-sama' or 'Amaya-sama'. I just loved being plain, regular, normal Amaya."   
  
He shrugged. "Well, to each his own."   
  
A loud rumbling broke the silence, and Youko stared at me for a moment before laughing. I blushed and held my stomach, embarrassed that it had growled so loudly.   
  
"I guess that I'm a bit hungry. I haven't eaten since breakfast." I said.   
  
He gave me a smirk. "I can tell. Come on, let's go get you something to eat before you wake the dead."   
  
He got off of the futon, and walked over to the door. He looked back at me expectantly, and I got off of the futon as well. He opened the door and walked out and down the hall. I tried my best to follow him and yet still take in my new surroundings.   
  
We were definitely underground, in a cave of sorts. However, it still looked like a normal home at the same time. The walls and ceilings and floor were all made of the same dark grey stone that had been in the previous room. There were no decorations, and little furniture. Just doors and more doors lining either side of the hall.   
  
The hall itself was large and spacious, with a ceiling that was well above Youko's height. It was very wide, as wide as my room back at home had been. I was in such awe at the space, that I didn't notice Youko stop walking. So, I walked right into him.   
  
I gasped, and looked up at him. He had raised an eyebrow, and had an expression of amusement.   
  
"Gomen."   
  
"If you think that this is amazing, then wait until you see the treasure room." He said, smirking. He seemed to like seeing me either shocked or embarrassed.   
  
"Treasure room?"   
  
He looked thoughtful. "Well, I'm not so sure, actually. Because with the reaction you get from the hall, the treasure may give you a heart attack."   
  
I glared. He really did enjoy teasing me!   
  
He walked into a room on the right side of the hallway and I followed him. It was a large kitchen, large enough to house fifty men or more. There were twenty tables spread out among the space. Towards the back, there was a smaller entranceway. That was where Youko was walking.   
  
"What do you have to eat here?" I asked as I walked after him.   
  
"Well, you can pretty much make anything that you want to." He replied. He entered the back room and looked back at me.   
  
The room was significantly smaller than the first one, and contained a stove and a counter. Also, there was a small ice chest in the corner. There was a small table with three cushions lined up beside it, which is where Youko sat down. I realized that he expected me to make my own food.   
  
Now, I may not have been the world's best chef, seeing as how I had never cooked anything in my life, but I was still going to try. I used to watch the chefs when they prepared sushi for me as a child, so I at least had an idea as how to make it. I could only hope that I would not end up cutting myself in the process.   
  
Youko pointed to a cabinet. "There's plates in there, and there are chopsticks and knives in the drawer below it."   
  
I nodded and walked over to the ice chest, grabbing the necessary ingredients needed to make the sushi. The seaweed to wrap it in, and the rice to fill it. I found some fish, and set it out on the counter. I opened the drawer and found a knife. I carefully pulled it out and started to cut the fish into tiny pieces, trying to ignore the set of golden orbs watching my every move.   
  
In fact, his gaze was so nerve-wrecking that I confirmed my fears and cut my finger. I quickly dropped the knife and stuck my bleeding finger into my mouth.   
  
"Amaya?"   
  
I turned and faced the kitsune, and he walked up to me. He gently took my hand and looked at my finger. He chuckled.   
  
"You really are clumsy, aren't you?" He said, smirking at me.   
  
I frowned. "Thank you for pointing that out."   
  
He looked at my finger again, and brought it to his mouth.   
  
My face heated up. "Wh-what are you doing?"   
  
He gave me a look that said that I was being stupid. "We demons have gave the ability to heal ourselves at incredible speeds. I'm only helping you to heal faster." He said.   
  
He put my finger in his mouth, and closed his eyes.   
  
I swear, if it hadn't been for the fact that I was frozen stiff, I would have slapped him right then and there.   
  
Healing or not, I still didn't want him to…to put my finger into his mouth!   
  
Suddenly, a man came bursting into the room, loudly proclaiming his presence with a hoot. He was tall, around Youko's height with large black wings on his back. He had long black hair that was secured into a high ponytail. He wore a ragged dark colored sleeveless shirt and baggy pants of a similar color. Wrapped around his waist was a cloth of light violet.   
  
"Oi, Kurama, I-" He stopped and stared at us. Youko still had my finger in his mouth, causing the man to grin.   
  
"Kurama, who's the lady? Brought another one home already? I would have thought that you'd wait at least a week after the last one." He said, putting his hands on his hips and chuckling.   
  
"Baka. She's a ningen- he obviously has her here for some other purpose other than sex." Came a voice from behind the winged man.   
  
Youko took my finger out of his mouth, but kept hold of my wrist. I was a bit appalled at what the man had said.   
  
"Hiei, Kuronue, you're back a little early, aren't you?"   
  
The source of the second voice entered the room. He was considerably shorter than the other two, and maybe even slightly shorter than myself. He had spiky black hair that stuck pout in all directions, with white streaks of sorts on the front of his hair. He had eyes that matched my favorite _furisode_, the one of blood red. He wore all black- from his sleeveless shirt down to his baggy pants and matching boots.   
  
"Well, we decided to get back here before the rest of the men came back from the raid. They should be back in about three hours." He said.   
  
The winged man walked over to me, and then looked at Youko.   
  
"So, kitsune, you going to introduce us to your woman?"   
  
I yanked my wrist from his grasp and put my hands on my hips. "I would appreciate it if you'd stop acting as though I were dumb, sir. I do not appreciate being talked about as though I were not in the room."   
  
This seemed to amuse the man. "Oh, really? Forgive me, my lady." He took my hand and gently kissed it. My anger dissipated and I blushed.   
  
Youko growled and shoved him away from me. "Back off, Kuronue. She doesn't need your seducing."   
  
"Sorry, Kurama. But I believe that I was talking to the lady, not you." He retorted with a grin.   
  
"Atashi wa Takahashi Amaya." I said, hoping to get a word in.   
  
He looked at me. "Amaya, huh?"   
  
I nodded. The one called Hiei snorted.   
  
"That doesn't answer my question. Why does the kitsune want you here? You're a ningen."   
  
I looked over at Youko, who had a mischievous look on his face.   
  
"Because, Hiei, she's going to be living with us."   
  
Both raven-haired boys looked shocked. Kuronue stared at me with wide eyes, whilst Hiei looked infuriated.   
  
"What do you mean, living with us? What's wrong with you, kitsune?!" Hiei exclaimed. He jabbed an accusing finger at me. "She's a ningen! Ningens have families that worry about them and try to take them back! She'll only attract trouble!"   
  
A wave of hurt crashed over my heart. "I…have no family to care about me. They want to give me to the demon Akira."   
  
Hiei stopped yelling and looked over at me. "Akira?"   
  
I nodded.   
  
Hiei gave me a suspicious look. "What would a demon like Akira want with a ningen like you?"   
  
"I wouldn't know. I'm still trying to figure that out for myself." I said, looking down at my feet.   
  
The room fell silent. Kuronue scratched the back of his head, and opened his mouth to speak, but my stomach spoke first.   
  
I blushed and smiled sheepishly. "Gomen nasai, but I'm really very hungry."   
  
Kuronue grinned and walked over to the counter where I had been preparing my sushi. "Well, we'll just have to fix that now won't we?"   
  
"Oh, you don't have to do that for me! I could make the sushi for myself." I protested.   
  
He waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about it. I normally cook for those two lugs anyways." He smirked at me. "And I certainly wouldn't mind cooking for a beautiful lady like yourself."   
  
"Thank you, Kuronue-san." I offered him a kind smile. Nobody, other than my mother, had ever called me beautiful. It was just my luck that the first male to call me so would be a thief.   
  
He set about to preparing the sushi from where I had left off, and Youko rolled his eyes.   
  
"Always the charmer, eh, Kuronue?" He said. The winged demon just grinned.   
  
I looked back to where Hiei had been standing, but was surprised to see that he was no longer there. I silently wondered why the little demon didn't like me.   
  
Youko flopped onto one of the cushions again. "Hiei isn't very social."   
  
I sighed. "He doesn't like me very much, does he?"   
  
"Hiei is always like that- even to us. He just isn't a people person." Kuronue said.   
  
"Is there any particular reason as to why?" I asked, sitting on the cushion beside Youko.   
  
"Well, he had a rough childhood. He's the bastard son of a koorime and a fire demon, and because of that he was banished from his homeland." Youko said. He shrugged. "I guess if anyone had to go through what he did, then they'd end up the same way."   
  
"His parents weren't married?" I asked, in awe at the fact.   
  
"Nope. Koorime are a self-reproducing, all female race of ice maidens." Kuronue said as he rolled the sushi in seaweed. "They don't like males, of any race. But Hiei's father was a fire demon, so that made it even worse."   
  
He put all seven little sushi onto a plate and set it down in front of me. I smiled at him.   
  
"Arigato gozaimasu." I replied with a smile.   
  
He shook his head. "There's no need to be so polite here, you know."   
  
I nodded slowly and turned to my meal. "Itadakimasu." I picked up the chopsticks that had been lying on the side of the plate and picked up one of the sushi. I ate it, and noticed that Kuronue was looking at me expectantly. I smiled at him.   
  
"Suki desu, Kuronue-san."   
  
He grinned. "Good."   
  
Youko rolled his eyes again. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye as I ate, and saw that he kept sending murderous glares in Kuronue's direction. After several minutes, he seemed to get whatever point Youko was trying to make and left the room. So, that just left Youko and I sitting at the table.   
  
It was quiet while I ate, and Youko had his eyes closed. I finished with my food and looked around for the sink. I saw it and brought my plate over. I looked around again, and frowned. I turned back to Youko.   
  
"Kurama, do you perhaps have anything that I could use to wash my plate?"   
  
He opened one gold eye. "In the drawer to your right."   
  
I nodded and opened the drawer, pulling out a towel. I poured some water into the sink and rolled up my yukata sleeves. I started scrubbing the plate; enough to get it decently clean. I then dried it, and walked over to the cabinet that held the plates, putting mine in its rightful place. I turned back to Youko, hands on my hips triumphantly.   
  
"Do you know that that's the first time I've ever cleaned my own plate?" I asked, not at all ashamed of the childish grin on my face.   
  
He chuckled. "Princesses really do live sheltered lives, don't they?" He stood and stretched. "I'm going to bed now. It's late, and I need to get some sleep before dawn comes."   
  
I blinked. I hadn't noticed it, but I was tired as well. It had been sunset when I had fallen unconscious, so only a few hours must have passed. I looked down at my yukata.   
  
"Would you happen to have an extra yukata that I could sleep in?" I asked, gesturing to mine. "I could use a fresh one, if it's not too much trouble."   
  
He looked my up and down, then nodded. "We could borrow one from one of my men's rooms. One or two are female, and they wouldn't mind sparing a sleeping yukata or two."   
  
He started walking back out to the hall, and I scampered after him. He kept going, past his room and further down the hall, stopping beside a door that had a flower engraved into the wood. He opened the door and entered, while I stayed outside. He returned a minute later holding a white yukata, which he tossed to me.   
  
I caught it and smiled. "Arigato. Demo…where can I change?"   
  
"In my room." He replied. He looked down at me, and I must have looked like I was glaring or something, because he sighed. "Kami-sama, I'll be _outside_ of the room! Not _in_ it while you're changing."   
  
I smiled. "I assumed that from the start."   
  
We walked back to his room and I walked in, closing the door behind me. I quickly change into the yukata, and then called out that it was alright for him to come in.   
  
He walked into the room and stretched. "Well, all we have to do is find you a place to sleep."   
  
I shrugged. He looked around the room. "We aren't very well prepared for guests, and I can't just let you sleep on the floor. And I'm not going to sleep on the floor…so that leaves only one option."   
  
I gave him a questioning look, and he sighed. "Things go right over your head, don't they? We share the futon."   
  
I looked over at the futon. "It's big enough, I guess. But it will work."   
  
He walked over to the futon and flopped down onto it, burying his face into the pillow. I giggled and got onto the other side, more gracefully than he. I pulled the blanket up to my chin, and almost instantly fell into a deep, deep sleep.   
  
What a day…   
  
  
  
~*~   
  
A/N: Well, how was that? I had to go back and change so many things because I was thinking in 'American'. I had put 'stools' instead of cushions, forks instead of chopsticks, and various other mistakes. Like bed instead of futon. It's been a really off day for me, LOL.   
  
**Thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter:**   
  
**Kelly**: I'm glad that you like it!   
  
**YoukoKurama**: Thank you! Trust me, the plot's going to get twisted. Reeaaaallly twisted. Question is, can you guess what's going to happen? If you can, then I'll give you an extra long chapter.   
  
**The Great Me**: Thanks!   
  
**Riyo-Hikaru**: *blushes* I'm a great writer? Thank you! Here you go, Kuronue AND Hiei! Gotta love Kuronue, he's so cool!   
  
**Katie E.**: Thank you! I know a lot about Japanese culture because I'm a diehard otaku, and I spent a lot of time researching for this fic. I wanted it to come out as well as I wanted it to.   
  
**Rika-chan**: Thanks!   
  
**Snowie Yuki**: Thank you! Cool name, by the way. Anything to do with Yukina?   
  
**Koori no Kitsune**: Thank you!   
  
  
  
Japanese Dictionary for this chapter: (let me know if there was one that you don't know thta I forgot to mention here)   
  
**_Demo_** - But   
  
**_Suki desu_** - I like it   
  
**_Atashi wa_** - feminine way of saying 'I am' or 'My name is'   
  
Review!!! Let your opinions be heard!! By the way, how did everyone enjoy the Amaya / Youko fluff in this chapter? Also, what kind of things do you want to see happen in the future? Like fluff ideas or Kuronue vs. Hiei arguments, or even ways that you would like to see Hiei tease Kurama!   
  
Here's the question : more fluff in the next chapter, or is that too rushed for you?   
  
Okay, one last rant before I shut up. Is anyone else annoyed with the fact that FF.Net kept disabling the log-in screen? I could've had this chapter posted yesterday, but I couldn't log in!! Darn. You could have read this a whole day earlier. 


	5. Getting Settled

Kokoro No Kaitou : Chapter 5   
  
~*~   
  
I awoke to an empty room the next morning. Youko was nowhere to be seen, nor were there any signs pointing to Youko's whereabouts. I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, yawning widely.   
  
I stood and rearranged my wrinkled yukata. I had no brush, so my disheveled brown hair would have to stay that way.   
  
I noticed a pair of slippers laid out beside the futon, and I slipped them on. They fit perfectly, and I smiled.   
  
I walked out into the hall, deciding to wander a bit before breakfast. If I was going to be living here, then I wanted to be familiar with the layout of the place. The hall was completely silent, with the exception of the soft thudding my feet made as they came down on the dark grey stone.   
  
The hall seemed endless, with rows upon rows of doors, all decorated in the same way (with the exception of the few that had flowers and other things engraved onto the wood). I was starting to get bored, and saw that I was going nowhere with this exploration.   
  
Just as I had decided that I was going to turn around and go to the kitchen, one of the doors swung open. Three demons came out, each large and grotesque. One was a blue oni, with scaly skin and a horn protruding from his forehead. The second was like a red version of him. And the third - obviously their leader - looked like a pig. He was taller than them, and was at least two heads taller than me. He was large and fat, with two tusks protruding from his mouth.   
  
The blue oni grinned, showing off his horribly rotten teeth. "Well, if it ain't a little ningen, wandering around all by herself!"   
  
The red oni grinned as well. "She's a tasty lookin' morsel."   
  
I took a step back. "Uh, I'm sorry to bother you. I'll…just be going now." I pointed over my shoulder. I started to turn around, when suddenly the pig man was in front of me. I cried out in surprise, and stumbled back a little.   
  
"You won't be goin' anywhere. We're goin' to eat you."   
  
"Y-You don't want to eat me. I'm too, uh, scrawny to be eaten. I wouldn't taste very good." I stammered, backing past the pig demon.   
  
The blue oni laughed. "I call the legs."   
  
"They say that the flesh of a maiden is tender." Chuckled the red oni.   
  
I took another step away from them, only to bump into someone. I gasped and looked up. As my luck would provide, it was Youko standing behind me. He was glaring with intense hatred at the three demons.   
  
The pig demon gulped. "Y-Youko-sama! Uh, we were just about to catch this ningen. She somehow managed to get into the lair."   
  
I was surprised that the three demons didn't burst into flames, with the way Youko was glaring at them. "And what exactly did you plan on doing with her, once you caught this girl?"   
  
"Uh, eat her, sir?" The blue oni replied.   
  
Youko gently put his hands onto my shoulders and moved me to the side. I hadn't noticed it before, but Kuronue was there as well. He was staring at Youko with a raised eyebrow.   
  
"Kuronue, take Amaya. I need to have a 'chat' with these youkai." Youko said, not even looking at either of us.   
  
Kuronue nodded. He then took me by my shoulders and led me back down the hall towards the kitchen. I looked back over my shoulder towards the kitsune, but Kuronue spoke up.   
  
"I wouldn't look if I were you." He said. I quickly snapped my gaze back in front of me, and he let go of my shoulders.   
  
"Kuronue-san, what is he going to talk to them about?" I asked, looking up at my tall friend.   
  
"Well, they'll be the ones doing the talking. They'll most likely be giving him reasons as to why he should not kill them." Kuronue replied.   
  
"You mean that he's going to kill them?" I asked, dumbfounded. "I mean, not that I want them to go free for threatening me like that, but why would Kurama be mad about that?"   
  
"He likes you. You two are friends, and he seems to be pretty protective of you. In fact, the only reason we were heading down that hallway was because he wanted to check on you." He replied.   
  
I thought about that for a second as we entered the small room in the back of the dining hall. "Kurama is really nice."   
  
Kuronue snorted. "That's what you think. He may seem nice to you, but he's a heartless, ruthless killer. Just like everybody else here."   
  
I was surprised at that as well. "Demo, Kuronue-san, you're really very nice as well! Are you trying to say that you're a heartless fiend? I just can't believe that. No, I won't believe that." I said, shaking my head. "You're like an older brother to me. I know we've only known each other for a day, and it's crazy to say this, but it's true. I really feel that way."   
  
He smiled. "Thanks. But if that's how you feel, then you need to drop the politeness and stop calling me 'Kuronue-san'."   
  
I nodded. "Alright. But I'm not being too forward, am I?"   
  
He shook his head. "Nah. Not at all." He looked over at me. "You hungry?"   
  
I nodded. "Yes, very."   
  
"Well, how about I teach you how to cook?" He asked. "I bet you've never made a meal for yourself in your life. Granted, I'm not the best, but I can teach you enough to make a basic meal."   
  
I grinned like a child and clasped my hands together. "Really? You'd teach me, Kuronue?"   
  
"Sure. Why not?"   
  
I threw my arms around his waist and hugged him, and I felt him tense in surprise. Then again, I was slightly shocked at my behavior as well. In the past few days, I had changed so much. I had gotten more outgoing. I had also felt lighter, as though my soul had had several burdens removed from it. I had made real friends, for the first time in my life, and that made me the happiest girl in the world.   
  
"Uh…Amaya?" Kuronue said awkwardly.   
  
I blushed and let go of him. "Gomen! I just got a little excited." I was embarrassed at the fact that I had zoned out like that while I was hugging him.   
  
"Well, I'll start by teaching you how to make a decent breakfast." Kuronue said, moving to the cabinet and getting out some cooking utensils.   
  
I watched him, taking in everything that he did so that I could be the best student possible. I wanted to be able to cook, just like any normal girl.   
  
Normal…   
  
That was what I wanted to be.   
  
Not a princess, not royalty in any way.   
  
I wanted to be common, normal, and plain.   
  
~*~   
  
After my cooking session, I decided that I needed to bathe, because I had gotten eggs spattered onto my yukata. So, Kuronue took me down to a new room.   
  
A large, expansive room with a hot spring in the middle.   
  
He left me with a towel and some bathing necessities, and then left to go somewhere. He closed the door behind him, and I eagerly undressed. There was a screen towards one side of the door, where there was a bucket and a stool. I filled the bucket and sat on the stool, scrubbing myself clean before rinsing myself off. When I was thoroughly clean, I got into the hot spring, easing my aching body into it. I relished in its warmth, and sank in until my nose was just above the water.   
  
_This is heaven…_   
  
I closed my eyes and thought about my family. I wondered what they were doing now, and whether or not they even missed me. Did my sisters know about Kenji and Akira? Did they have any idea? And what about Akira? Would he be willing to hunt me down, for whatever it was that I supposedly possessed? I certainly hoped not.   
  
And what about here? Is this where I would stay for the rest of my life? While I certainly did enjoy being in the company of Kurama and Kuronue, I didn't want to be locked up in this place for all eternity. I wanted to find myself a husband, and settle down. How was I supposed to do that when I was stuck in the lair of thieves? Then again, if I did leave, where would I go? To the outside world, I'd be a poor, fatherless young girl. I'd most likely never be married that way, because I'd have nothing that men would want.   
  
I think that it was right then and there, in that hot spring, when reality finally sunk in.   
  
I was going to be stuck in this place, without contact with the outside world, where I could never fulfill my dream of becoming a bride.   
  
Forever.   
  
The happiness that I had felt earlier quickly dissipated. Was this the life that I wanted for myself?   
  
I completely submerged my head into the water, and then stood. I started to ring out my hair, and I turned towards the door. I sighed, and suddenly the door swung open.   
  
My eyes widened, and Youko stared at me.   
  
"Uh…"   
  
I screamed and ducked back down into the water, covering myself as best as I could.   
  
"Hentai! Get out, get out, GET OUT!" I shrieked.   
  
Youko quickly backed out of the room and closed the door behind him.   
  
I was blushing furiously. That fox had seen me _naked_! _Completely_ naked!   
  
I quickly reached out and grabbed the towel, wrapping it around myself as soon as I stood. I took the clean yukata laying out next to the stall and put it on, tying the sash closed. Kami-sama, I felt so…so…honestly, I didn't know. I was angry and embarrassed at the same time.   
  
I gathered up my things and opened the door, looking around for the silver kitsune. He was crouched down beside the door, pinching his nose.   
  
I was unsure of what to do. I felt angry with him for coming in like that, but yet I felt as though it wasn't his fault.   
  
"Ano…Kurama?" I asked, avoiding eye contact.   
  
"I didn't know that you were in there." He said, sounding funny because he was pinching his nose.   
  
"Kurama?" I crouched down next to him, but he kept looking straight ahead. "Why are you pinching your nose?"   
  
He still wouldn't look at me. "Because."   
  
"Because why?"   
  
"Because…because."   
  
"Well that made a lot of sense." I said, rolling my eyes.   
  
"Keh."   
  
"Kurama?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"I…wanted to thank you for saving me this morning." I said, looking down at the floor. "If you hadn't come when you did, then I'd be…"   
  
I did not want to finish that sentence.   
  
"You're welcome." He said.   
  
I sighed. "Kurama, why won't you look at me? I forgive you for walking in."   
  
"Because…you'll only make my nosebleed worse." He said.   
  
"What? Nosebleed?" I was confused. Why would it make his nosebleed worse if he looked at me? I asked him so, and he snorted (as best as one could snort while pinching their nose).   
  
"You're clueless about everything, aren't you, Amaya?"   
  
I glared. "Well, excuse me for being considerate." I stood and he finally looked up at me. I put my hands on my hips and glared down at him. "You should think about being considerate sometime! Here I am, worried about your health, and all you can do is be sarcastic!"   
  
He stood up and I blinked rapidly at how short I felt when I stood next to him. He towered over me, and I only came up to his chest.   
  
"Well I'd rather not talk about it, okay?" He growled. I noticed that he had let go of his nose in his attempt to look threatening, and he indeed had a nosebleed.   
  
"Kurama…" I pointed to his nose, and he quickly pinched it again and glared at me.   
  
"Shut up."   
  
I sighed. "I'll never understand the minds of men. One minute you think that a man the nicest person that you've ever met, then the next he acts like a complete and total jerk." I growled in frustration and he looked surprised.   
  
I turned on my heel and started walking back towards the bedroom, intent on going to bed very early.   
  
"Matte, Amaya!"   
  
I ignored him and walked down the hall, to the bedroom. I threw open the door and threw my things onto the ground. I stomped over to the bed and flopped down face-first into my pillow, much like he had done the day before.   
  
I heard the door open about thirty seconds later, and I made an effort to not look up at Youko as he entered.   
  
"Amaya?"   
  
He moved to the futon, and shook my shoulder.   
  
"Go away." I said, though it came out muffled into the pillow.   
  
He chuckled. "It's my room, Amaya. Technically, it should be me telling you to go away."   
  
I peeked out at him from my pillow. "Do you really want me to leave?"   
  
He seemed surprised by my question. "Leave? No. I don't want you to leave."   
  
I sat up and looked at him hopefully. "Demo…does that mean that we're friends?"   
  
"Weren't we already?"   
  
I smiled. "I just wanted to hear you say it. I figured that you thought I was annoying."   
  
"No. I don't think that you're annoying."   
  
"I'm glad…" I smiled again. "Kurama?"   
  
"Hm?"   
  
"Can I ask you something?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"Can we…can we go outside?" I asked, still hopeful.   
  
Youko looked confused, however. "Outside? Outside of the room?"   
  
"No, I mean _outside_ outside. Like out under the stars?" I said, spreading my arms out to emphasize my point.   
  
He chuckled. "If you really want to."   
  
"I do!"   
  
He stood and offered me his hand, which I accepted. I got off of the futon, and followed him to the door, where he suddenly stopped.   
  
"So, does this mean that you've forgiven me?" He asked, turning to face me.   
  
"For being a jerk? No." I said. His face fell. "I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself."   
  
He blinked, but then rolled his eyes. "Women are complicated."   
  
I giggled and followed him down several winding halls until we reached a stairwell. He started up it, and I went after him, holding up the skirt of my yukata so as not to trip. The stairs went on for a while, and Youko didn't say anything as we went.   
  
Finally, we reached the end of the stairs and we walked out into the open clearing that was there. It was surrounded on all sides by trees and all sorts of demonic plants, but was beautiful nonetheless. I walked out into the middle of the clearing and did a little twirl, happy to be outside in the wild again. And this time, there were no guards to tell me to get back inside.   
  
I sighed contentedly, and Youko chuckled.   
  
"You're really happy, aren't you?" He asked, folding his arms over his chest.   
  
I turned back to him and smiled. "Yeah! I've loved the outdoors ever since I was a child!"   
  
He walked over to me, and sat down cross-legged on the ground. I smiled and gracefully folded my yukata under me before sitting with my back against his.   
  
"Kurama, what was your childhood like?" I asked, leaning my head back.   
  
"Nothing really interesting. I was pretty much on my own my entire life. I would spend my days training, and I eventually got bored with that after I mastered the control of plants. That's when I started learning how to break codes and spells. Basically, I became a thief." He replied, a sleepy quality to his voice.   
  
I looked up at the moon, which was almost in its prime. It gave me a dull feeling in my heart, the feeling of longing.   
  
"So, you became a thief out of boredom?" I asked.   
  
"Yeah. What do princesses do during their childhoods?" He asked in a teasing tone.   
  
"Well, nothing special. We're treated like normal kids until we reach the age of five. That when the stupid lessons start. Ikebana, tea ceremony- you know, the things that a proper wife is supposed to know." I replied.   
  
"Were you any good at it?"   
  
I laughed. "Nope! I was terrible at it. My flowers looked miserable, and my tea serving was horrendous. I was more suited to playing in the woods than to learning to be the proper wife."   
  
Youko was silent for a minute, and I wondered what he could possibly be thinking. So, I decided to ask him.   
  
"I'm thinking about…things. About what's happened over the past few days." He said slowly.   
  
I nodded. "What about it? How do you feel?" I closed my aching eyes.   
  
He started talking, and I guess I dozed off. It wasn't that he was boring, it was just that after soaking in the warm spring, I was tired. The next thing I knew was that I was halfway between sleep and consciousness, and Youko was carrying me bridal style back to the bedroom. He gently set me down on the futon, and then got on as well.   
  
I drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.   
  
~*~   
  
A/N: I know, this chapter was kinda short. But still, it accomplished what I wanted it to.   
  
I want your opinion again: I was considering (when I finish this story) making a companion fic from Youko's POV. To tell his side of the story. Would you be interested in reading that?   
  
**Thanks to all those that reviewed:**   
  
**Roseangel9413:** Was that too much fluff for you? Or just the right level of fluffiness?   
  
**YoukoKurama:** Well, yes. That part you're right about. But I'm very proud of myself, because nobody can guess where I'm going with this. ^___^ But you still get a long chapter. At least, I think it's long.   
  
**Kit:** Yay! A new reviewer! Thank you very much! I personally like Kuronue the best, charavterization-wise. What about you?   
  
**Wizardess Gal:** How about you? Not too rushed, is it? Yea, it annoys me too when people make them kiss when they've only known each other for a few days. Since we both feel that way, I suggest that you never read Romeo and Juliet- they kiss as soon as they meet. LOL. Literally-   
  
"Hi, I'm Romeo. I'm a Montague, and I'm madly in love with you."   
  
"Really? I'm Juliet, a Capulet, and I love you too." *they kiss* TWICE. Talk about _rushed_.   
  
You think that my fic is well written? Thank you! I love romance stories, even if I'm not the best at writing them. It's soooo tempting to make them kiss! RESIST THE URGE!!! *cough cough* Sorry. It's 1:02AM, and I'm on a sugar high. Don't mind my craziness.   
  
Japanese Dictionary For This Chapter:   
  
**_Matte-_** Wait   
  
**_Ikebana-_** flower arrangement   
  
I think that was all that I used...   
  
There was no Hiei in this chapter- but he WILL be in the next one! Poor Hiei is going to have to taste-test Amaya's first meal, cooked ENTIRELY by herself. Will our favorite little koorime survive? DUN DUN DUUUUNNNN!!!   
  
By the way, REVIEW!!!!!!! 


	6. Strange Happenings And A Message

Kokoro No Kaitou : Chapter 6   
  
…I just now realized that I haven't had them eat lunch OR dinner yet. Gotta fix that. And guess what? I made another typo. It's 'Characterization' not 'charavterization'. Oops. Damn that HomeSite 4.0 for not having a spellchecker!!   
  
~*~   
  
This time, when I awoke, Youko was in the room. He was on the futon, sleeping soundly with his back to me. I quickly covered my mouth with my hands to stifle my laughter.   
  
He was snoring!   
  
I smiled and sat up, leaning over him so as to see his face. He looked much less menacing when he was asleep. Really cute, like a small child…   
  
And then, he sat up.   
  
I winced in pain and fell back, my hands on my forehead. He was rubbing his forehead as well.   
  
"Damn it, Amaya! What were you doing?!" He demanded.   
  
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the pain to go away. "Ow…that hurt! Here I was, thinking you looked so peaceful, and then you crack your forehead against mine when you sit up! Itai…"   
  
He sighed, and I opened one eye. I tried not to laugh as I saw the redness of the place where my head had hit his. "Well, looks like we're both going to have bruises."   
  
He glared at me. "Yours is going to be worse. Remember? Demons heal faster than ningens. I'd say you're going to be purple and blue for at least three weeks, depending on how fast your body heals."   
  
"Great…just great." I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "And I'm assuming that you'll only take a day?"   
  
"No. About two or three." He replied. "I'm not some kind of god. I bruise too. It just doesn't last for very long. And it doesn't turn nasty colors." He smirked at me.   
  
I stood up and glared at him. "Oh, shut up. At least we'll both be black and blue for three days. Then I'm on my own."   
  
He stood as well. "Let's go get some breakfast. I'm starving."   
  
I nodded and followed him down the hall to the kitchen; I was proud that I was getting used to where things were around here. I smiled when I saw Hiei and Kuronue already there.   
  
"Ohayo, Kuronue, Hiei-san." I said, giving a small bow to Hiei. I hoped that if I was nice to him, then he might like me a little.   
  
"Ohayo, Amaya." Kuronue replied. He did a double take at me. "What happened?"   
  
I blushed. "Well, Kurama and I sort of hit heads this morning."   
  
Youko snorted and sat down on one of the cushions.   
  
Hiei smirked, and looked down at him, his arms folded over his chest. "So, kitsune, I heard that you walked in on her yesterday."   
  
I noticed that Youko colored slightly; I hadn't thought that he would ever be one to blush.   
  
"Shut up, Hiei." He growled back.   
  
"And I heard that she managed to give you a nosebleed." Hiei continued. He seemed to enjoy teasing Youko.   
  
"I said shut up." Youko had crossed his arms, avoiding eye contact with Hiei. He looked very mad.   
  
I still didn't know what a nosebleed had to do with anything.   
  
Hiei looked pointedly at me. "Who would've thought that she'd have a nice body under that baggy yukata? Good enough to give the great Youko Kurama a nosebleed."   
  
"I SAID SHUT UP!" Youko yelled, now making eye contact with Hiei as he yelled at him.   
  
I was thoroughly confused now, but Kuronue seemed to be following what was happening- he had his jaw dropped.   
  
He then looked over at me, still with that look of amazement. "Amaya…you gave him a nosebleed?"   
  
I shook my head. "What's wrong with a stupid nosebleed? You're all acting like it's such a big deal!"   
  
Hiei smirked and sauntered over to me, putting an arm around my shoulders. I felt a little uncomfortable, and he gave me a look that told me that (once again) I was being stupid about something.   
  
"When men get nosebleeds, it means-" He started.   
  
"Hiei, don't you dare tell her what that means!" Youko shouted, standing up and pointing a finger at the fire demon beside me.   
  
"-that he was having a naughty thought about a woman."   
  
Youko looked mortified. "Hiei, why'd you have to go and tell her that?!"   
  
Hiei smirked at the kitsune. "Because she has the right to know." He looked back at me. "And seeing as how he never blushes or gets nosebleeds, then it must have been something _really_ naughty."   
  
He let go of my shoulders and pushed me away from him, and I could only stare at the fire demon in shock.   
  
Naughty? As in…_sexual_ naughty? I blushed at the thought. But I wasn't pretty- why would anyone be thinking about me that way? Why- why was _Youko_ thinking about me that way in the first place?   
  
Kuronue cleared his throat, and then tried to give me a smile to clear away the awkwardness of the moment. "Oi, Amaya, do you want to cook us breakfast? Using what I taught you yesterday?"   
  
I snapped out of my daze and looked up at my friend. "That would be nice, Kuronue! I'd love to cook for you all!" I smiled back at Youko and Hiei. The latter looked annoyed, while the former looked embarrassed.   
  
"Hn. I don't trust you to cook my food." He said, eyeing me with scrutiny. "You'll try to poison me."   
  
"I would never!" I protested, putting my hands on my hips and stomping one foot onto the ground.   
  
Kuronue started to snicker, and I glared back at him. "And just why are _you_ laughing, Kuronue?"   
  
He shook his head, then started to laugh even harder. In fact, he was guffawing so hard that he actually doubled over, clutching his sides. Tears of mirth were streaming down his cheeks.   
  
I pouted. "Kuronue…why are you laughing?"   
  
He wiped tears from his eyes, and opened his mouth to speak, only to start laughing again.   
  
Hiei snorted. "He says that you looked like an old married woman, bossing her husband around. He seems to find that amusing."   
  
I turned and glared back at Hiei, my hands still on my hips. "And how would _you_ know?"   
  
"I'm a telepath."   
  
"A tele-what?" I asked, confused again.   
  
"Baka." He snorted.   
  
"She's not stupid, she just hasn't had much experience with the outside world." Youko said, defending me. He turned to me. "A telepath is someone that can read the minds of others, and hear their thoughts. They can also talk to you through their mind."   
  
I nodded. That sounded like it would get annoying after a while…   
  
"It does. Especially when there's a baka like you in the room. I'm trying to block out your stupidity." Hiei said, putting emphasis on the word baka.   
  
Kuronue stopped his laughing and stood, glaring at Hiei as well. "Hey, don't insult her. If you do, you'll have two angry youkai on your ass before you can cry for your mother."   
  
"Baka. I never cry. And I could beat yours and the kitsune's asses any day." Hiei said, an arrogant tone to his voice.   
  
I sighed and rubbed my temples. "Onegai…stop fighting."   
  
Hiei snorted and sat down on one of the cushions. "Hurry up and make breakfast, onna."   
  
I opened my mouth to yell at him, but decided to let it drop. Kuronue and Youko were right about him. I set about to making what Kuronue had taught me about the previous day- eggs, rice, some pickled vegetables, and some miso soup. I tried my best to remember everything that Kuronue had taught me, but I was pretty sure that I messed up a bit on the miso soup.   
  
When I was done cooking, I set out the food onto the table, and served all three of my male companions. I handed them each a pair of chopsticks, then sat down myself. I smiled eagerly at them as they broke their chopsticks.   
  
Youko took a bite of the fried eggs, as did Kuronue. Both gave me their approval. Hiei just stared blankly at his miso soup.   
  
I looked over at him. "Hiei-san…aren't you going to eat your food?"   
  
He snorted. "I refuse to eat this shit."   
  
I glared at him. "You _will_ try it."   
  
Youko looked slightly surprised, and Hiei's eyes flashed for a split second.   
  
"Fine." He said, taking the miso and eating it.   
  
I must admit, I was thoroughly surprised about how easily he had succumbed to my will. When I got over my shock, I grinned in triumph and served myself some food as well. We all ate in silence after that.   
  
However, about halfway through the meal, Hiei suddenly looked shocked. He got up from the table and spit out his food into the sink. We all stared at him in shock.   
  
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "What the hell was I doing?" He muttered before glaring back at me. "What the hell did you do to me?"   
  
I was confused. "Nani? I didn't do anything! What do you mean?"   
  
He turned and stomped out of the room, leaving us all to wonder what he had meant.   
  
~*~   
  
After breakfast, Youko disappeared into a room near the hot spring, to do something - I don't know what. I went with Kuronue and watched him train, bored out of my mind. He tried to teach me a little about how to use a scythe, but I failed miserably. That was what I spent my entire day doing.   
  
Around dinnertime, Kuronue sent me to fetch Youko from his seclusion. I went to the room, and knocked on the door. When I received no reply, I knocked again. Again, there was no reply, and I decided that I could just go in. I opened the door and entered, taking in my surroundings.   
  
The room was large and expansive, with very high ceilings. Each wall was a bookshelf, housing thousands and thousands of books and scrolls, which I presumed contained magic spells and how to break them.   
  
In the center of the room was a cluster of tables, one of which Youko was sitting at. He was leaning back in his chair, with his feet propped up onto the table. He had a book in his lap, which he was reading very intensely. In fact, he didn't even notice me when I approached him.   
  
I walked up behind him, my hands behind my back, and I leaned over his shoulder. I smiled.   
  
"Ohayo, Kurama."   
  
He yelped and lost his balance on his chair, and I had to quickly step back as he fell back onto the ground along with his chair. He groaned and looked up at me.   
  
I kneeled down beside him. "Daijobu ka, Kurama?"   
  
He propped himself up onto his elbows and glared at me. "Amaya, you scared the shit out of me."   
  
I smiled. "Gomen." I helped him stand, and he righted the chair again.   
  
I picked his book up off of the floor, and dusted off the cover. I took a quick glance at the title of the book before handing it back to him (yes, yes, I know. Princesses aren't supposed to know how to read. However, after much pestering, my father consented to have me tutored well in the ways of reading and writing).   
  
However, this title was strange to me. Why would Youko be reading a book called _Symbols: Marks of the Supernatural_? What kind of symbol had he been looking up?   
  
He waved a hand in front of my face, and I snapped out of my daze.   
  
"I said, 'What are you doing here'?" He repeated.   
  
"Oh! I'm here to tell you that dinner is ready." I replied, a faint blush on my cheeks from embarrassment.   
  
He rolled his eyes. "You gave me a heart attack about that?"   
  
I smiled. "Sorry!"   
  
He started walking towards the door, and I followed him. The rest of the way to the dining hall was silent, mostly with me pondering why my friend had been reading what he was.   
  
Now, every time that I had seen the dining hall, it had been empty and barren. However, when Youko threw open the doors, it was crammed full of youkai. Every table in the great expanse of the room was full of them. Each demon was different- some looked relatively human, while others looked more like animals. Their loud, gruff voices were a loud roar that assailed my ears.   
  
Youko started walking through the middle aisle, and I tried to keep up with him and ignore the calls from the demons at the tables. There were cries of 'ningen wench', 'witch', and various other very rude and insulting names.   
  
When we were right in front of the door to the kitchen, a youkai came up to us.   
  
"Youko-sama?"   
  
Youko looked at him out of the corner of his eye. "What?"   
  
"Well, some of us are wondering why Noh, Kahn and Kin were killed." He said, looking slightly intimidated under the kitsune's gaze.   
  
Youko glanced back at me. "For threatening her."   
  
The demon looked at me, disbelief in his eyes. I squirmed as I also saw the intense hatred that laid in his eyes.   
  
"Sir? For threatening a worthless ningen?" He asked, all humbleness aside.   
  
Youko whirled and picked the demon up by the throat. He crushed the demon's throat in a simple squeeze, and I threw my hands over my ears when I heard the youkai's neck snap like a twig.   
  
The dining hall fell silent, and all eyes were on us. Youko tossed the body away from him and turned back to face the hall.   
  
"Let that be a warning to you all: lay a finger on this girl, and you will face the same fate." He said in a loud voice.   
  
I stared at him in shock. He then turned and opened the door, and I quickly went inside, eager to avoid the stares of one thousand pairs of eyes.   
  
When we entered, Hiei and Kuronue were already at the table, the latter stuffing his face. Youko and I sat down on the cushions, and he served himself some food. I served myself some as well, and Hiei spoke up.   
  
"Oi, kitsune, what took you so long?"   
  
Youko glared. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Hiei. I was reading, and we talked for a minute."   
  
I realized how funny that sounded - the great King of Bandits, locked up in a room all day long, reading a book.   
  
"Coming from the King of Dirty Minds himself." Hiei retorted.   
  
Youko opened his mouth to give a remark to that, then closed it again. Apparently, he had nothing that he could say to that. So, he settled for glaring at the triumphant koorime.   
  
Suddenly, the door flung open and I jumped in surprise. I put a hand over my heart to calm it, then looked up at the three demons that had entered the room. Two were large black onis, and the third squeezed between them was obviously a lower level demon.   
  
One oni said in a gruff voice, "Forgive our intrusion, my Lords. But this demon says that he had to deliver a message."   
  
Youko nodded. "Leave him here. You're dismissed."   
  
The onis nodded and left the room. The lower level demon turned to us. He was a scrawny little thing, with a rather large head. He had skin of light blue, and wore nothing more than a loincloth. He had a nearly bald head, with gnarled teeth. Needless to say, he was quite unpleasant to look upon.   
  
"I come with a message from my Lord. The demon Akira." He said in a raspy voice.   
  
I tensed at the name, and I heard Youko growl lightly.   
  
"What does he want?" Kuronue asked.   
  
"My Lord wishes for the maiden Amaya to be brought to him at the Takahashi Estate. My Lord says that she is not the property of you, and she needs to be returned. My Lord also says that if she is not returned by midnight, two nights from now, then he shall send forth his army to take her by force. The Takahashi army would also be sent forth." The demon said. "In essence, you have until two nights from now at midnight to fulfill my Lord's request for the return of the maiden Amaya."   
  
I felt the blood drain from my face. My father's and Akira's army combined? My father's army alone could trample this place to the ground in an instant! The combined force of both would be absolutely devastating!   
  
Youko growled again, and a plant suddenly shot up from the floor, swallowing the demon whole.   
  
"Well, now what?" Kuronue asked.   
  
Youko glared. "What do you mean, 'now what'? We aren't going to hand over Amaya."   
  
"I'm all for giving her back." Hiei said. "It would solve all of _my_ problems."   
  
Youko glared at him as well. "Hiei! I'm telling you, we aren't going to hand Amaya over."   
  
"So what are we going to do? Go after him?" Kuronue asked.   
  
Youko smirked. "Precisely."   
  
I looked up at him in shock. "You can't! He's too powerful!" I protested.   
  
He looked over at me. "Why are you underestimating me? I'm the King of Thieves, Youko Kurama!"   
  
I glared. "Because, I know that my father bragged of Akira's army - he said that he's taken down a clan of nine-tailed kitsune before. A whole clan!"   
  
Kuronue spoke up. "I've heard about that - it was all an exaggeration."   
  
"Either way, you can't go!" I said, shaking my head. "I'll just go - I don't want any of you hurt on my behalf."   
  
"Glad we agree on that subject." Hiei said, a sarcastic tone to his voice.   
  
Youko stood. "Listen, Amaya. I refuse to be submissive and hand you over to a demon that's only going to eat you anyways. You have to understand - it's mostly a pride thing."   
  
I felt a pang of hurt in my heart that he was only being stubborn about giving me to Akira because it was some kind of macho pride thing.   
  
Youko cracked his knuckles. "Well, let's get to training, boys. We have a big fight coming up."   
  
~*~   
  
Author's Notes: Wai! Another chapter done! This one was rather short, for which I apologize, but the next chapter is going to make up for it! I promise!   
  
Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter!   
  
**Roseangel9413**: Was there too much fluff? I thought it was mostly Youko being protective. Dunno. What do you think about this chapter?   
  
**YoukoKurama**: Thank you!   
  
**psychopath143**: More protectiveness in this chapter, ne? I think it's really cute! I want my boyfriend to be protective of me!   
  
**Wizardess Gal**: Actually, he doesn't have the same problem as Ryouga. I think that got explained in this chapter. Well, like Hiei said, Youko never gets nosebleeds and such. It kind of fits into the whole plot a little later - remember that part, okay? Yeah, I think it's pretty much determined that I am going to do a Youko POV story. It would be a heck of a lot more informative than this story. Because in this story, Amaya has to be present in order to hear something, but if it was from Youko's POV, then more would be explained.   
  
**Riyo-Hikaru**: Actually, there won't be any kissing for a while. Sorry. You'll have to hold on just a little longer!!   
  
**Rhianna Sulumae**: Well, like I told Riyo-Hikaru, Youko's POV story will be a lot more informative. Hope you do read it! Thanks for reviewing!   
  
**Katie E.** : Yes, informative chapters are always good. Thanks for reviewing!!   
  
Japanese Dictionary For This Chapter:   
  
**_Itai_**: Ouch!   
  
**_Daijobu ka_**: Are you alright?   
  
**_Onegai_**: Please   
  
**REVIEW!!!!**


	7. The Battle Begins: Part 1

Kokoro No Kaitou : Chapter 7   
  
~*~   
  
What was left of that day, Youko, Hiei, and Kuronue spent fighting and sparing. I had been so upset with them that I had retired early. I took a bath (thankfully, nobody walked in this time) and then went back to the bedroom.   
  
I couldn't get to sleep, so I laid in bed and thought over the situation.   
  
I tried to think of a way to spare my three friends from the fighting, but could only come up with one way - to hand myself over to Akira.   
  
But I didn't want to do that…   
  
Kami-sama, I felt so selfish! It was the only way to save my friends, and yet I couldn't bring myself to do it because I didn't want to!   
  
I started to cry, just a little bit.   
  
Why did it have to turn out this way?   
  
~*~   
  
The next morning, I awoke with a start. I looked around the room, and saw that Youko was gone - _again_. I sighed, and threw the covers back. I knew where he was.   
  
I put on my slippers and walked down to the training room, where I had watched Kuronue practice with his scythe. The training room was basically one large room with _tatami_ mat floors and various targets set up around it. It was so huge that it made the dining hall seem tiny in comparison.   
  
This is where I found Youko, Kuronue and Hiei. Despite the fact that the sun hadn't risen yet (it felt too early) the three looked like they had been at it for at least a few hours.   
  
All three were sparring against each other at the same time. The amazing thing was that only thing I could see were flashes of light as the three moved.   
  
_Kami-sama! Is this how demons fight?_ I thought to myself.   
  
"Whoops!" Kuronue's voice said.   
  
The next thing I knew, a scythe was heading straight for me.   
  
"Amaya! Get down!" Youko's voice exclaimed.   
  
I quickly ducked down, my hands over my head and my eyes squeezed shut. I heard the sharp crack of wood, then of someone jogging over to me.   
  
"Amaya! Kami-sama, what are you doing in here? It's dangerous!"   
  
I looked up and saw Kuronue giving me a scolding look. I stood and looked back at the door. The scythe had lodged itself into the wood. I gulped when I realized that that could've been my head.   
  
I looked back towards Kuronue, a guilty look on my face. "Gomen nasai, Kuronue-kun."   
  
He sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. I looked over to Youko, who was rubbing his temples.   
  
"Amaya, you need to stay away from us while we're training. You may not be so lucky next time." He said, not even looking at me.   
  
I glared. "I can handle myself."   
  
He returned the look. "No, you can't." A flash of surprise flew through his face.   
  
I ignored it, and growled in frustration as I turned on my heel. I pushed open the door and stopped once to glare back at him. I then continued my way back down the hall. Well, since I couldn't be in the room while they trained, then I was going to see what Youko had been looking up in the library.   
  
I walked down to the room and walked it, pleased to find that the book was still laid out on the table, with a bookmark in it. I sat down and set the book onto the table, opening it to the bookmarked page.   
  
In big bold print at the top was the word 'tsuki'. I stopped for a second, startled at the reference to the moon. I then looked down at the picture drawn onto the page before the rest of the text.   
  
It was a crescent moon, slightly tilted to the right. It was a beautiful silver color, and I ran my fingers over it for a second. A tingle of familiarity had run down my spine as soon as I saw it.   
  
I tore my eyes away from the tsuki, and instead read the passage below.   
  
"Tsuki: This symbol is often used by heavenly creatures to represent themselves. It is a symbol of being from Heaven, and is most commonly found somewhere on the body of these heavenly creatures - often tattooed directly onto the skin. These creatures include angels, archangels, and…" I drifted off as I tried to read the last word. It was so smudged that I could not make it out. I sighed in frustration and closed the book.   
  
Why would Youko be looking up this symbol? Unfortunately, I had come to get that question answered, only to have more questions take its place.   
  
Why did that picture send a familiar tingle up my spine?   
  
I couldn't quite place it, but I felt as though I should know what it meant. Somehow…   
  
~*~   
  
The rest of the day I spent in the library, reading various things about demons. I even found a book on the kitsune race, which I read to pass the time. I learned some interesting things - like the fact that foxes did not like their tails to be touched, and that when they got a certain number of tails, they could take the shape of others. Ah, and I learned about the whole tail thing - more tails meant more powers and more age. Supposedly, the most powerful kind was the nine-tailed fox.   
  
Still, by the time that my stomach told me that it was dinnertime, I had learned more in one sitting than I had in an entire lifetime.   
  
But, my stomach protested to me staying to read more, so I went to the kitchen and made myself some food.   
  
I ate in silence and contemplated the battle coming the next night.   
  
Who would win?   
  
Youko?   
  
Or Akira?   
  
I hoped that Youko did…   
  
~*~   
  
The sky was dark, with the exception of the creamy white moon, hanging in the sky in all its glory. A silvery orb, far more ancient than any other. I was standing in a field, a large open field, watching it. Seeing the _tsuki_ put me at ease somehow, and yet still gave me a sense of something ill to come.   
  
Then, a strange emotion came crashing over my heart in a thunderous wave.   
  
Fear.   
  
Pure terror.   
  
My eyes trailed downwards, and I saw Youko standing there, watching me. His face held no discernable expression as he watched me. I started to walk toward him, so as to ask him where we were and why we were here, when I was stopped by something hitting my nose.   
  
Blood.   
  
Blood, dripping on the moon, and raining down upon us. I gasped and frantically tried to get it off of me, to no avail. I looked up at Youko, but he was just standing there, watching me as it stained his white robes into a foul scarlet.   
  
I cried out, tears streaming down my face as I watched him.   
  
Because somehow (I wasn't sure _how_) I knew that this blood, raining so freely from the heavens, was his.   
  
Every last drop.   
  
But what scared me the most about this was the fact that he just…smiled. Smiled at me, as though everything would be fine.   
  
Then, he did something that shocked me.   
  
He spoke.   
  
"Amaya…"   
  
He only said my name. He opened his mouth and said something else, but I could not here him over the pouring blood. Then, he fell over into the dirt, clearly dead.   
  
"Noooooo!" I screamed, falling to my knees and covering my face with my hands. "You can't be dead, you can't be!"   
  
"Amaya!"   
  
I looked around for the source of the voice, but could not see it. It sounded like Youko…but that couldn't be, because he was lying dead on the ground before me.   
  
"Amaya!" The voice cried again.   
  
I gasped and my eyes flew open. I was still feeling very scared, but I calmed down slightly when I saw a set of glowing gold eyes through the darkness. I sat up, my mind racing with a thousand questions.   
  
My hand went to my forehead, and I realized that I was covered in a cold sweat. The emotions of my dream came flooding back to me, all at once. The fear, the pain, and the realization that I was helpless; that I couldn't have saved my best friend even if I tried.   
  
"Amaya, you were having a bad dream." He said, his voice slightly hoarse with sleep.   
  
I couldn't help it, and I started to cry. I brought my knees to my chest, and sobbed, putting my face into my hands. I could sense that this distressed Youko, but he seemed uncertain as to what he should be doing. But I didn't care right then, because of my miserable state.   
  
He gently reached out through the darkness and pulled me into his embrace, stroking my hair in a calming manner. I wrapped my arms around his waist and cried into his chest, grateful for his presence. He rested his cheek on the top of my head, and his free arm went around my own waist.   
  
"It's okay, Amaya, it was only a dream. You're safe now." He whispered, gently rocking me back and forth as though I were a child. My sobs turned to tears and sniffles, and I felt a little better.   
  
"Kurama, in my dream you- you-" I started. But I found that I could not bring myself to say the word. I tried to tell myself that my overactive imagination had made my dream, out of my own fear that Akira would win the battle planned for the next night.   
  
"Shh, it's fine. You're fine, and I'm fine." He said. He kept stroking my hair, and I relaxed into his embrace.   
  
My tears stopped, and I sat up. "Gomen nasai, Kurama. I-"   
  
He put a finger to my lips to silence me. "It's okay. I told you that already."   
  
I sighed, and wrapped my arms around his neck. He tensed, and looked down at me with questioning eyes.   
  
"Kurama, I don't want to lose you. You're all that I have left now. My only friend." I whispered.   
  
He didn't reply, and instead pulled me away from him. "Amaya, you should go to sleep."   
  
I started to protest that I couldn't possibly go back to sleep after a horrible dream like that, but he cut me off.   
  
"I said you _should_. Just lay down, and try to get back to sleep."   
  
I laid back down as he told me to, but couldn't bear to even close my eyes. Because every time that I did, my mind would be flooded with images of Youko lying on the ground, soaked in his own blood.   
  
Youko settled down beside me, though I couldn't see him in the dark. The darkness was exactly like that of my dream, and I unknowingly let out a whimper as the pain came back to me.   
  
Youko sighed, and I heard the covers rustling as he changed position.   
  
"You're being a child, Amaya." He whispered.   
  
Still, he pulled me into his embrace again, only this time both of us were lying down. He let out a heavy sigh and buried his face into my hair.   
  
"Will you go to sleep now, Amaya?" He murmured, though it was muffled slightly by my locks.   
  
I nodded, because I couldn't find my voice. Was this really Youko? Feared thief and murderous bandit? He smelled wonderful, and I turned and buried my face into his chest. I could hear his heartbeat, slow and steady. I sat there for a minute, and listened to his heart until his breathing evened out, a sign that he had fallen asleep. Not too long after, I fell asleep as well.   
  
A blissfully _dreamless_ sleep.   
  
~*~   
  
The next day was like a repetition of the day before - the boys trained while I read in the library.   
  
Towards the evening, while I ate my dinner, anticipation made my stomach knot. It made me lose my appetite, and I could only sit and stare blankly at my meal, as it grew colder.   
  
Youko…   
  
In my dream, he had gotten killed.   
  
But my dream hadn't shown _anything_ about Kuronue or Hiei.   
  
Would _they_ be okay?   
  
I had grown rather fond of the fire youkai - he had a gruff way of showing that he cared about people, but it was still the most sincere that I had seen in a while.   
  
My eyes watered up at the thought of losing _any_ of them.   
  
So, I sat there and cried, wanting to stop but not being able to.   
  
~*~   
  
When it was almost time for the three of them to leave, I decided to ask about the idea that had struck me over dinner.   
  
We were all standing at the clearing before the lair, and the three were checking to make sure that they were well prepared for the battle.   
  
I clasped my hands together and looked down at my feet. What would they say to my idea?   
  
Well, I'd never know until I asked.   
  
"Kurama, Kuronue-kun, Hiei?"   
  
They all looked over at me.   
  
I bit my lip before saying. "I'd like to go with you."   
  
They all stared at me for a second, and Hiei snorted.   
  
"No. You'll only get under foot."   
  
"I promise that I won't!" I said, bringing my clasped hands over my heart.   
  
"Amaya, you'll get hurt. We can't guarantee your safety. We'll all be too busy fighting to save you when you need it." Kuronue said.   
  
I shook my head. "I won't get hurt! Besides, I can fend for myself! Give me a bow and arrow - the one thing that I ever mastered was archery! - and I can help you! To fight!" I exclaimed.   
  
Youko sighed. "Amaya…"   
  
I looked over at him, the pain welling up in my chest.   
  
"Forget it. You can't come." He said, looking over at me.   
  
"Give me a legitimate reason!" I said, my confidence returning. I put a hand on my hip. "I can fight, so you don't need to worry about saving me. And I won't get under foot."   
  
His face never changed. "That may be, but I want you to stay here."   
  
I glared. "Why? Huh? Give me a _real_ reason."   
  
He walked over to me. "Because this way, I _know_ that you'll stay safe."   
  
"Kurama, please, I'll be fine if I come with you!" I protested.   
  
He suddenly pulled me into a tight hug, burying his face into my hair. My eyes widened partially at the sudden contact, and partially from shock.   
  
"Kurama…?"   
  
"Amaya, stay here. I want to make sure that you stay safe. If you come, you'll only be giving Akira what he wants. _You_."   
  
I opened my mouth to comment, but nothing came out.   
  
"He's a demon, and demons will do _anything_ to get what they want. And right now he wants you. Wants you enough to threaten the great _Youko Kurama_." He pulled away, and I stared at him, still unable to speak. "So, you can be fighting him just by staying here. By not giving him what he wants."   
  
I nodded and looked down, unable to say anything more.   
  
He turned back towards Kuronue and Hiei, and smirked. "Right! Let's go!"   
  
The three of them dashed away, leaving me by myself in the clearing. When they were gone, I smirked and put my hand on my hip.   
  
"Ha! Like I'm going to stay behind while they go and fight! I want to get a few blows in on Akira too!" I said, turning on my heel and going back down to our bedroom. I went into the chest with my clothes and other things in it (given to me about two days before). I pulled out the outfit that Leiko, a female thief here, had given to me as a sort of 'welcoming gift'.   
  
I quickly removed my yukata and changed into the outfit. It consisted of a pair of baggy black pants that were like Youko's in style, stopping above my ankles. The shirt was a bit more revealing than I would ever normally wear, but it permitted free movement. It was a sleeveless black shirt with a low-cut front that revealed more cleavage than I really cared to show. I also showed much of my stomach, because it stopped right below my chest.   
  
I quickly secured my brown locks into a high ponytail so that it wouldn't get in the way.   
  
I stopped and looked at myself in the mirror.   
  
And froze.   
  
My hand slowly went to my forehead, and in my reflection, my sea-green eyes widened.   
  
My bruise…it was _gone_!   
  
But bruises took weeks to heal! Mine had healed in a matter of a day!   
  
I quickly decided that I had more important matters to attend to and ran out of the room, as fast as my legs could carry me. I also realized that I had no bow or arrows. I silently cursed my luck, and I ran around the corner, straight into some demons.   
  
I fell back onto my rear, and winced at the pain.   
  
The two demons that I had bumped into looked down at me angrily, but then their expressions changed.   
  
"Gomen n-nasai! Daijobu ka?" Stuttered the first red oni.   
  
I was confused at the sudden change of attitude, but then remembered Youko's threat: If anyone of these demons laid a finger on me, they would be killed.   
  
I also noticed that one just so happened to have a bow across his chest and a quiver of arrows on his back.   
  
"Ah!" I exclaimed as I scrambled to my feet. "Sir, I need to borrow those!" I said, pointing.   
  
He glared at me. "What? No way-"   
  
The first glared at him. "Oi, remember what Youko-sama said about her!"   
  
The second demon grudgingly removed his bow and quiver and handed them to me. I put them both on and gave him a stiff bow of thanks before continuing my run up the stairs and into the clearing.   
  
I stopped and closed my eyes, listening for any indicator of which direction that they had gone.   
  
I could very faintly hear the sound of clashing metal, so I headed in that direction - west.   
  
The woods surrounding the clearing were thick and dense, and gave me some slight trouble to get through, but after about thirty minutes of stumbling over tree roots and such, I came upon yet another clearing. I stopped to take a rest, and check to make sure that I hadn't hurt myself too badly going through the woods.   
  
Now, I had never seen a dragon before, but when I saw that gigantic purple creature flying over the treetops only a short distance from where I was, I was terrified. It looked as though it were made of fire!   
  
I realized that that must be where the battle was, so I rushed into the woods again, eager to get there before anything happened.   
  
After yet another fifteen minutes, I arrived in the clearing before my former estate. I threw my hands over my mouth when I saw the large number of bodies that lay strewn throughout the place. Some I knew - others I did not.   
  
One of the many that I recognized was that of Kenji, my supposed brother. I winced and turned away from his mangled body, tears welling up in my eyes. I still loved him as though he was related to me, even if the feeling wasn't mutual.   
  
"Amaya!"   
  
I turned back around, and saw Kuronue running up to me. He looked quite displeased with me. I nearly gasped when I saw the kinds of wounds he was sporting - many gashes and cuts all over his body, and one broken wing.   
  
"Kuronue-kun, you're hurt!" I exclaimed.   
  
He grabbed onto my shoulders, and now I could clearly see his fury. "Amaya! We told you to stay back at home! It's dangerous here!"   
  
I glared. "Where is Kurama?"   
  
"Damn it, woman! Are you even listening to me?!" He shouted, causing me to shrink away slightly. I had never seen him act like this before, and it scared me. He then blinked and trailed his eyes over my body. "And what the hell are you wearing?"   
  
"Just tell me where he is!" I shouted back. I was angered at his sudden change of subject, when I wanted to know where my other friend was.   
  
His eyes flashed for a second, and he sighed. He pointed to the cherry blossom hill that lay on the other side of the field. My father's prized trees were there, and that was where we used to celebrate the blooming of the _sakura_, and hold _Hanami_ every April.   
  
That was where they were fighting?   
  
I looked back to my friend. "Kuronue, you should stop fighting. Please, find a healer."   
  
He forced a smirk. "Hiei's still fighting, and he's worse off than I am. You have to understand that it's a macho pride thing."   
  
I sighed as well, but gave him a pleading look. "I understand, Kuronue. But please…be careful."   
  
He looked surprised, and I got up on my tiptoes to place a butterfly kiss on his cheek.   
  
I then turned and stared running towards the hill, jumping over the horribly burned bodies of the fallen. Even though there were hundreds dead, still more were left fighting. Which was giving Kuronue and Hiei a hard time.   
  
I stopped and looked up the hill, right about when I got to the base of it. I nearly gagged when I saw Youko. His injuries made Kuronue's seem like a minor scraped knee - gashes and cuts far deeper and more common than on the raven-haired youkai. He seemed to be deeply involved in his fight against the equally hurt Akira.   
  
Youko and Akira where moving at incredible speeds, and they appeared to be mere flashes of light.   
  
I struggled to keep up with their movements, but failed.   
  
"Jaou Ensatsu Koko Ryu Ha!"   
  
I turned back and saw the same flaming dragon consuming what was left of my father's army. And controlling it was Hiei.   
  
I heard Akira curse, which drew my attention back to them. I realized that the reason was because now Kuronue and Hiei would be joining in the fight against him - one that he knew he would never win. He twirled the sword he was holding, and made a madman's dash towards Youko.   
  
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.   
  
Akira was running at Youko, and feigned a blow to his shoulder. As Youko went to block to his right, Akira made his real move.   
  
A sword thrust to the heart.   
  
I felt my own heart die.   
  
The pain wrenched a scream from my throat.   
  
"Kurama!" I shrieked, my hands flying to my mouth as tears spilled freely.   
  
He slowly looked back towards me, blood trickling from his mouth and his golden eyes now dull.   
  
"Amaya…"   
  
Akira withdrew his sword, causing Youko to cry out. Akira then seemed to realize that Kuronue and Hiei were standing there, and ran away into the woods. But I didn't care.   
  
Youko fell back onto the ground, his robes now completely scarlet. The full moon shone overhead, and it seemed to have been turned an angry red color.   
  
I ran forward to Youko's fallen body, and I shook his shoulders. "Kurama, please, wake up." I sobbed, gently brushing the bangs from his blood smeared face. I bit my lip as the tears kept rolling.   
  
So cold…he was getting so cold.   
  
But I couldn't bring myself to admit the obvious.   
  
That Youko Kurama, my best friend in all of the world, was dead.   
  
  
  
~*~   
  
  
  
**Author's Notes:** Ahh! I'm so sorry! That's not the end of the story though. *dodges flying tomatoes* Well, have hope!   
  
**Thanks To Everyone Who Reviewed The Last Chapter:**   
  
**inuyasha-hieiluver:** Thank you!   
  
**TrU AzN cHiK:** Yes, I knew that her name means 'night rain'. I thought it was pretty, which was why I chose it. ^___^ Looks like great minds think alike. Thanks for the review!! Oh yeah, and cool name, by the way.   
  
**Japanese Dictionary For This Chapter:**   
  
**_sakura_** - cherry blossoms   
  
**_Hanami_** - cherry blossom viewing   
  
**Review!!!!**


	8. The Battle Begins: Part 2

Kokoro No Kaitou : Chapter 8   
  
~*~   
  
Previously:   
  
_So cold…he was getting so cold.   
  
But I couldn't bring myself to admit the obvious.   
  
That Youko Kurama, my best friend in all of the world, was dead._   
  
~*~   
  
The sobs made my entire body shake, and I pressed my cheek to his heart, hoping to hear it beat.   
  
Nothing.   
  
"Kurama, you can't leave me!" I said in a hoarse whisper. My heart was wrenching and twisting, and my stomach was doing back flips. I feared that I would get sick, but nothing happened.   
  
_Please…wake up!_   
  
I bent over him, sobbing harder and harder. I tightened my grip on the front of his shirt.   
  
He _couldn't_ be dead.   
  
He had to be…to be _faking_ it, or something!   
  
"Amaya…" Kuronue's voice said. He couldn't hide his own sadness either.   
  
"Kuronue, he _can't_ be dead." I whispered, before sobbing again.   
  
Hiei growled. "Damn it, onna! The fox is dead, and there isn't anything that you can do about it!"   
  
I couldn't believe it.   
  
No, I _wouldn't_ believe it.   
  
I bent back over his frame, whispering as I cried.   
  
"Kurama…Kurama, please. Come back." I kept asking him to come back, as I cried and rocked back and forth. My tears rolled down my cheeks and some fell onto my hands, which were still clutching his blood-soaked shirt.   
  
All of my memories of him came flooding back at once.   
  
_Seeing him for the first time in his human form, meeting my gaze…   
  
Treating me like a human being, not a porcelain doll…   
  
Saving me from Akira when he took me back to his home, and even inviting me to stay there with him…   
  
Teasing me about my dreams…   
  
Healing my finger…   
  
Saving me from those youkai…   
  
Walking in on me in the hot spring…   
  
Sitting back to back in the clearing, under the full moon…talking about our childhoods…   
  
Looking up at me after he fell back in his chair…   
  
Saying that he would never hand me over to Akira…   
  
Holding me after my nightmare about this very moment…_   
  
I suddenly heard Kuronue take a step back, and I looked up slightly.   
  
My hands were glowing with a silvery light, and Youko's cuts were closing up. All of them.   
  
I was confused, but I didn't think to question it. I knew that it wouldn't be wise to question Kami-sama when he was helping me. I willed his healing to continue, and kept calling to him. "Kurama, come back. Please, come back."   
  
He started to glow with a faint silver light, and his fingers twitched slightly.   
  
I nearly burst with joy as his eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at me.   
  
"Amaya?"   
  
"Kurama!" I threw my arms around him, and he tensed.   
  
"But…I was _dead_." He said quietly before pulling away from me.   
  
I felt hurt. "Kurama, who cares _how_ it happened, as long as it did?" I said, before smiling. "You're alive…this is a blessing from Kami-sama!"   
  
I threw my arms around him again, and the tears running down my face were now those of joy.   
  
"Amaya."   
  
I pulled away and looked at him. He had a serious expression on his face.   
  
"I shouldn't be here. I'm supposed to be _dead_." He said.   
  
Kuronue gave us an awkward smile as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, I say that we get back home."   
  
I stood angrily and walked back to the edge of the hill, surveying the damage that had been done. My anger was quickly replaced by sadness as I saw the slain warriors all over the field.   
  
My heart wrenched again, hurting for those that had passed on.   
  
"The baka is right." Hiei said. "We need to get back home to take care of our wounds." He looked Youko up and down before adding, "Though it seems that Amaya has taken care of that for you, kitsune."   
  
I turned around to face them. "I didn't do anything! My hands just glowed, and then he started to glow! I told you that Kami-sama was the one that did this!" I said, holding up my hands for emphasis.   
  
Youko sighed. "He's right. Let's get back home. We can talk about this later."   
  
~*~   
  
It took us a while to get back home, because of Kuronue's wing, but we made it by dawn. Of course, by then, all of us were exhausted. Youko saw to it that Hiei and Kuronue were treated for their wounds (apparently they had a healer there) while Youko and I went back to the bedroom.   
  
I was still mad at him. I mean, it wasn't like it was a _bad _thing that he had somehow come back to life (_I_ wasn't complaining, that's for sure) but he seemed really upset about it. And it seemed like he was blaming _me_ for it.   
  
But how was _I_ to blame for a supernatural act?   
  
I was _human_!   
  
Either way, Youko didn't say anything more about the matter. He just started changing out of his bloody clothes, and I quickly turned around so that I wouldn't see him naked.   
  
I heard him chuckle. "Amaya, I've seen _you_ naked, so why shouldn't you see _me_?"   
  
I glared, though he couldn't see. "Because that's disgusting. I don't _want_ to see you naked."   
  
He was quiet for a minute before he told me that it was okay for me to turn around. He had changed into a clean pair of pants, but he wore no shirt. He held the bundle of bloody laundry in his hand.   
  
He raised an eyebrow at me, and I realized that I must have been staring.   
  
He smirked at me. "Bet you never had a dream quite so good as _this_, huh, Amaya?"   
  
I glared. "I told you before - I would never dream of you in _that_ kind of way."   
  
He shrugged. "Denial." He looked over at me. "And what exactly is up with your outfit?"   
  
I blushed. "Oh! One of the female thieves, Leiko, let me have it. I think it's a bit too revealing."   
  
He kept his serious expression and looked over me one last time. "No. It looks good on you."   
  
I blushed again, and cursed myself for being so girlish. Not that there was anything wrong with being complimented - it was just that I didn't like blushing about it.   
  
"Amaya…"   
  
"Hm?"   
  
"Did I ever…thank you?" He asked awkwardly.   
  
"Thank me? For what?" I said, confused by what he had said.   
  
"For…reviving me." He said, avoiding eye contact with me.   
  
I smiled. "I told you that I didn't do that. I couldn't have. I'm _human_, remember?"   
  
He looked over at me and sighed. "Right. I forgot. Now come on and get changed so we can go to bed."   
  
I looked down at my feet, and he rolled his eyes.   
  
"Fine, fine. I'll get out." He said, walking past me and out the door. I heard him grumble something about 'nothing I haven't seen before' as he went past. I smiled, and quickly changed into a sleeping yukata and told him that he could come back in. He did. He walked over to the bed and flopped down, and I got onto the other side.   
  
We're acting as if nothing out of the ordinary happened… I thought to myself. He had his back to me, and I tentatively reached out and hugged him from behind, pressing my cheek to his bare back. He tensed, but I didn't let him go.   
  
"Kurama…I'm glad that you're okay." I whispered.   
  
He rolled over and faced me in the darkness. "I am too." He whispered back.   
  
He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me even closer to him, and I relaxed into his embrace.   
  
Then, something happened that surprised me more than anything ever had before.   
  
Something warm and soft pressed against my lips, and my eyes widened in shock as I realized what was happening.   
  
Youko was…_kissing_ me.   
  
It was short and quick, ad then he pulled away. He rested his forehead against mine, and his finger started tracing the outline of my lips. I could feel his warm breath tickling my face.   
  
"Amaya…you know that I care about you, right?" He said, a slight hoarseness to his voice.   
  
The finger that had been tracing my lips moved under my chin, and tilted my face up towards him. I really wished that I could see him, but I couldn't through the darkness.   
  
He kissed me again, a bit more fiercely. I responded as best as I could, by putting my hand behind his head and pulling him to me. He slipped his tongue into my mouth, which surprised and delighted me at the same time. He explored my mouth for about a minute, and I pulled away when I felt as though it was getting a little _too_ passionate. The kiss had left me gasping for breath, and I could hear Youko panting lightly as well.   
  
I smiled at him through the darkness. "Kurama-kun, we should probably get some sleep."   
  
I heard him sigh. "Fine."   
  
I pressed my cheek to his bare chest, and smiled again as he put his arms around my waist. We fell asleep like that, and this time I only had happy dreams. Happy dreams filled with a certain silver-haired kitsune.   
  
~*~   
  
The next morning (technically it was evening - we had gotten back at dawn, and had slept through the entire day) I felt strangely exhausted. My entire body ached, and I felt as though there wasn't enough energy left in me to move. Youko tried to get me to get up, but I kept falling back asleep every time he woke me.   
  
I think that after while he gave up on me and left, because the next time I awoke it was some time later and it was Kuronue in front of me instead of him.   
  
I gave him a sleepy smile. "Ohayo, Kuronue-kun. How is your wing?"   
  
"All better now." He replied as he stood again. "Come on. You need to get up."   
  
I sat up and looked at him quizzically. "Why? Is something wrong?"   
  
"Just come on."   
  
His bossy tone annoyed me slightly, but I was still too tired to respond. I threw the covers off of me and stood, following him as he walked out of the room.   
  
As it would turn out, our destination was the library. When we arrived, Youko and Hiei were already there, and both had their feet propped up on the table as they waited for Kuronue and I to approach.   
  
I felt like a child that knew she was about to be scolded for something that she hadn't done.   
  
I smiled awkwardly at them. I still felt odd about Youko kissing me, so I avoided eye contact with him for the moment.   
  
Instead, I turned my attention to Hiei.   
  
"Hiei, you seem a lot better now. How are you feeling?" I asked politely.   
  
"Hn." Was his reply to that.   
  
"Amaya…we need to talk." Youko said, yanking my attention towards him.   
  
I instantly felt panic grow in my heart.   
  
Was this about our kiss? Or about his revival? Was he going to tell me that I wasn't welcome here anymore, and that I had to leave? There were so many possibilities, and each was more frightening than the last.   
  
"We think that we may have found an explanation as to what happened." Hiei said.   
  
"What…happened?" I repeated.   
  
"My revival." Youko said. "From two days ago."   
  
"Two _days_? Have I been asleep that long?" I asked, a bit surprised. I hadn't known that I was capable of sleeping for two straight days.   
  
He nodded. "Yeah. For about that long."   
  
"Kitsune, get to the point." Hiei snorted.   
  
"Right, right. Relax, Hiei." Youko said with a glare. He turned back to me. "Amaya…we have reason to believe that you may not be entirely human."   
  
"What do you mean, 'not human'?" I asked, now very confused.   
  
Kuronue spoke up. "While you were sleeping, Kurama here tried to find an explanation to what happened. He stumbled onto a book about-"   
  
Hiei cut him off. "Tennyos."   
  
"Tennyo?" I repeated.   
  
"Celestial maidens, heavenly maidens, they have many names that mean pretty much the same thing." Youko said.   
  
"So you think that…I'm a tennyo?" I asked.   
  
Youko nodded and pointed to a book laying on the table, closed. I looked at the title, _Heavenly Creatures_.   
  
"All the signs, everything, was in there." He said.   
  
"Like…what?" I felt numb. First, I wasn't from my family, and now I wasn't even _human_?   
  
"Well, there was the clairvoyance." Hiei said.   
  
I looked over to him. "What?"   
  
"Seeing the future." Kuronue said. "You did have a dream about Kurama getting killed, right?"   
  
I nodded mutely.   
  
"And then there was mental dominance." Hiei said.   
  
Before I could even open my mouth to ask what it was, Youko was already answering. "That means that you can give people a little push so that they do what you want them to. You used it on Hiei when you made him eat your food, and on Kuronue when you asked him where I was."   
  
"Also, tennyos can heal at incredibly high speeds. Faster than demons." Kuronue said. "That's why your bruise was gone even before Kurama's was."   
  
"And lastly, healing powers." Youko said. "You healed my body after I died, which made it able to house my soul again. And apparently, you also have enough power to pull a soul back from limbo into the living world."   
  
"You mean…that glowing light…was coming from me?" I asked.   
  
He nodded.   
  
Youko smirked. "Oh yeah, and have you heard about the legends?"   
  
I shook my head.   
  
"Heavenly maidens are also supposed to be incredibly beautiful. You fit that description as well."   
  
I blushed, and looked down at my feet. "H-How is that in a legend?"   
  
"The legend of the celestial maiden is of a fisherman. It varies from story to story, but the fisherman finds three really beautiful women bathing in a spring. He realizes that they're tennyos and takes one of their heavenly robes, which allow them to travel back to heaven - which, by the way, happens to be represented by the moon. He shows himself, and two of the maidens fly away, leaving one in the spring. He takes her home to be his bride, they have a few kids, she learns where the robe is, and she flies back to heaven leaving the man all alone - just like a typical woman." Kuronue said.   
  
I glared at him about the last comment. I crossed my arms over my chest. "I still don't see how all of these coincidences make me a celestial maiden."   
  
"Face it, onna. You're a tennyo." Hiei said.   
  
Kuronue stretched. "Well, my part's done, so I'm going to go get me some breakfast."   
  
Hiei got up as well. "Wait for me, you oaf. I'm sure as hell not going to eat that crappy tofu again."   
  
They left the room, leaving Youko and I alone. I sighed and sat down across from him, running a hand through my hair. We were both silent for what seemed like forever.   
  
Finally, he spoke up.   
  
"Are you okay?"   
  
I glared at him. "Well, Kuronue woke me up from a very nice dream to find out that I'm not human. Oh yeah, I'm just perfect."   
  
He got that playful smirk again. "Another dream, Amaya? About what?"   
  
I rolled my eyes. "I swear! Will you ever stop being such a hentai?!"   
  
He chuckled. "Probably not."   
  
I smiled, but stopped when my stomach rumbled loudly.   
  
He smirked at me. "Will you ever stop being hungry?"   
  
I stood and put my hands on my hips, giving him a playful glare. "Probably not."   
  
He started to stand, when suddenly I remembered the book that he had been reading, the one with the tsuki.   
  
"Oh!"   
  
He looked over at me. "What?"   
  
I tried to think of what to say. Would he be mad if he knew that I had been snooping around, trying to find out what he had been reading? I decided to take my chances.   
  
"Kurama, the other day…after the whole scythe incident, I kind of…" I drifted off.   
  
"Kind of what?" He asked.   
  
"Um, well, I had seen that you were reading a book, and I wanted to know what it had been so I…came back here and read that page. The page about the tsuki." I said, wringing my hands.   
  
He didn't say anything, and I assumed that that meant he wanted me to continue.   
  
"Well, I was wondering…you didn't know that I was a tennyo before, so why were you reading that?" I asked.   
  
"Mainly because of the fact that you had been having dreams about the moon. Also, because the time that you made Hiei eat your food, a very faint symbol appeared on your forehead." He pointed to his own forehead to emphasis his point. "And it was the same symbol that was on that page. A crescent moon."   
  
I nodded. "But why would that appear on my forehead?"   
  
"Probably because it's a symbol of your powers or something." He shrugged. "I don't know everything."   
  
"Oh."   
  
"Let's stop talking about this tennyo thing and get some breakfast." He said. "I'm hungry too."   
  
I smiled, and we walked to breakfast together.   
  
~*~   
  
**Author's Notes:** Ahh! I think this chapter SUCKED. But that's just me. The whole death scene was pretty badly written, and the part where they talk about Amaya being a tennyo is weird too. Does anybody know if 'tennyos' is the plural form of tennyo or not? Because I wasn't sure, but I really wanted to post this chapter up today so…your help would be appreciated. And was it just me, or did the whole 'crescent moon on the forehead' thing sound a little too Sailor Moon? It sounded good when I thought about it, but when I wrote it, I imagined Amaya suddenly jumping up and yelling 'Moon Crystal Power' - which, by the way, was NOT what I was going for. What do you think?   
  
**Thanks To All Those That Reviewed The Last Chapter:**   
  
**YoukoKurama:** She's not quite a demon, but she isn't human either. She's immortal. Close enough. Thanks for the review!   
  
**TrU AzN cHiK:** Thanks! Yeah, Bloody Mary scares me too.   
  
**psychopath143:** He didn't die! Well, permanently anyways. Thanks for the review! And yes, he IS too hot to die!   
  
**Wizardess Gal:** Hey! You aren't supposed to know what's going to happen! LOL   
  
**Abby:** Do you know that you're the first person that's asked me that? Well, since I'm not very good at Japanese grammar, the title can be roughly translated in two ways: Mysterious Thief Of Hearts or Mysterious Thief's Heart. Both ways apply to the story, which I think is really cool!   
  
**Japanese Dictionary For This Chapter:**   
  
I don't think there is anything new…   
  
Review!! 


	9. The Final Fight

Kokoro No Kaitou : Chapter 9   
  
~*~   
  
When Youko and I arrived at the kitchen, Hiei and Kuronue were already eating. A nice meal of eggs, rice, miso soup (far better than mine), and even some tofu had been served. Youko and I sat down on the cushions across from the two, and I served him and then myself. We started eating in silence until Kuronue asked the question that we had all been wondering.   
  
"Whatever happened to Akira?"   
  
I stopped eating, and set down my chopsticks. "Didn't you see? He ran away after…after Kurama was killed." I said quietly.   
  
Kuronue looked surprised. "Oh. That's right. I'd forgotten about that."   
  
Youko looked up from his meal. "What are we going to do about him?"   
  
I snorted, in a very unfeminine way. "Nothing. He ran away - he wouldn't dare to fight us again."   
  
"Baka." Hiei said. "He will try to attack again, after he's gathered more followers and more power. We may not be able to defeat him then. We need to take the initiative, and track him down. Then, we kill him."   
  
"We don't need to kill him, do we?" I asked. I certainly wanted him to die, but I didn't want to risk losing Youko again, or maybe even Kuronue or Hiei this time.   
  
"I need to kill somebody soon, to satisfy my bloodlust. Otherwise, I'm going to kill the next person on my hit list." He looked pointedly at me as he said this.   
  
"Um, would that be Kuronue?" I asked, hoping that his look didn't mean what I thought it meant.   
  
"Hey!" The chimera protested.   
  
Hiei smirked at him. "No. He's about fifth on my list. For being so damn annoying."   
  
He glared at Hiei.   
  
"Hiei's right." Youko said.   
  
"What?!" Kuronue exclaimed.   
  
Youko rolled his golden eyes. "Not about the annoying thing, Kuronue! About the fact that Akira will regroup and try to take Amaya again when he's strong enough."   
  
I decided to speak up. "But even if we do want to fight him, how will we find him?"   
  
Hiei smirked again. "Baka onna. I have a way to find him."   
  
I gave him a questioning look, and his hand went to the bandana that was always tied around his forehead. He pulled it off, and I gasped when I saw what it had been hiding.   
  
A third eye.   
  
"Wh-what is that?!" I exclaimed.   
  
"My jagan eye. I can use it to find anything that I want to." Hiei said, putting the bandana back on. "Including Akira."   
  
I nodded, and started to slowly eat my fried eggs.   
  
"So, when do you guys want to go fight him?" Kuronue asked.   
  
"After we're done eating." Youko replied. "I want to kill him as soon as possible."   
  
I was slightly surprised at the anger in his voice, but decided to take it as him wanting revenge.   
  
We all finished our meal, each of us thinking about the upcoming battle.   
  
~*~   
  
After breakfast, I changed into my outfit from the day before. I put my hair into a high ponytail, and adjusted the quiver on my back and the bow across my chest.   
  
When I had finished preparing, I walked outside of the room where Youko was waiting, already changed.   
  
I smiled at him. "This time, I'm not going to let you guys leave me here. Who knows when you might need to be healed."   
  
He rolled his eyes. "Amaya, must you keep pointing that out?"   
  
I kept my smile in place. "I like to think about the fact that you needed me."   
  
He got a puzzled look. "I _do_ need you."   
  
I looked down at my feet. "It doesn't feel that way."   
  
He gently tilted my face up to look at him. "Why not?"   
  
"Because I have no use at all. I'm just…_here_." I said. "And you've been acting as if nothing happened after you kissed me. Did it even mean _anything_ to you?"   
  
He leaned down and gently placed a kiss on my lips. He pulled away by a mere inch.   
  
"It did. I just didn't know what to think after _you_ pulled away like that. I didn't know if you were suddenly having second doubts, or if you just didn't like kissing me."   
  
Ha! _Didn't_ like kissing him? That would've been a complete and total _lie_ if I had thought that!   
  
"No! That wasn't it! It was just…" I felt awkward about saying this. "It was a little…_too_ passionate. Do you know what I mean?"   
  
He was silent for a second, and it looked like he was thinking about something.   
  
"Kurama?"   
  
He seemed to snap out of his daze. "Sorry."   
  
"For?"   
  
"For spacing out and for making it too passionate for you."   
  
He kissed me again, and suddenly he tensed.   
  
A voice had come from behind us.   
  
"Uh…did I miss something, guys?"   
  
I turned around, while Youko was still frozen in place. Kuronue was standing there, with Hiei next to him. The former looked a little surprised, and the latter bore an amused smirk.   
  
"Looks like we've interrupted them, Kuronue." Hiei said. "Shall we come back in about, oh say, three hours, kitsune?"   
  
I blushed at the implication and I heard Youko growl. He straightened up behind me.   
  
"Hiei, do you _want_ to die?" He asked. I could hear that his words were dripping with anger.   
  
The koorime smirked. "Really, it's no problem. We can go fight Akira ourselves."   
  
I glared this time. "Like you could ever get a girl, Hiei." I smirked and put a hand on my hip.   
  
Kuronue started snickering, and Hiei growled.   
  
"Hold your tongue, onna. Even if you _are_ a tennyo, you can still die."   
  
I wasn't the least bit phased by his threat. "Let's just go, okay?"   
  
Hiei turned on his heel and started walking down the hall, seemingly eager to get away from us. We three followed him, and I fell into stride between Kuronue and Youko.   
  
The raven-haired youkai scratched the back of his head. "So…how long have you guys, uh, been, you know…_together_?"   
  
"Since he was revived." I said. "So about three days."   
  
"Oh…you were planning on letting me know soon, right?" He asked.   
  
I smiled. "Yes."   
  
At the same time, Youko said, "No."   
  
I looked over at him, and he shrugged.   
  
"And have him tease me till the day I die? Well, _really_ die anyways." He said. "No thanks."   
  
I looked over at my winged friend. "You'd tease him?"   
  
He shrugged. "It's what guys do. It has nothing to do with you though - you're by far the best girl that he's ever been with. And so far, the only girl that _hasn't_ been an obnoxious bitch."   
  
I was slightly surprised by his curse, but said nothing about it. "Um, thank you, I guess."   
  
We walked up the stairs, and into the clearing, where Hiei was waiting impatiently.   
  
"Hurry up. I found him." He said.   
  
I remembered the last time that I tried to make it through those woods. "You…don't expect me to travel at the same speed as you guys, do you?" I asked tentatively.   
  
"What are you talking about?" Kuronue asked.   
  
"When I followed you to battle, I had to go through these woods. I ended up scratching myself pretty badly."   
  
Hiei snorted. "Figures."   
  
"Well, let's just get going before he moves." Kuronue said, starting to dash off into the woods. Hiei followed him.   
  
I opened my mouth to ask Youko how I was to follow them, when he answered my question. He scooped me up into his arms like a bride, and dashed after his comrades.   
  
I instinctively turned my face to his chest to keep the wind off of my face, and I tightened my grip on the front of his shirt. I could feel him chuckle at this display, and I wanted to glare at him.   
  
I'm not quite sure how long it was before the wind finally died down and we came to a halt. I looked back out, and saw that we had stopped in a clearing. I unconsciously tensed at the sight of the bloodied figure that stood in the middle of it.   
  
Akira.   
  
His frame shook slightly, as though he was chuckling. "I'm surprised that you're alive, Kurama." He slowly turned back to look at us, a hideous smirk on his face. I was shocked to see that his eyes had turned to gold, and his pupils were now narrow slits.   
  
Snake eyes.   
  
"I didn't realize how far the little witch's powers had progressed." He continued.   
  
I felt anger rise in my chest, and I wanted to strangle him for daring to call me what he had.   
  
"We're here to fight." Hiei interrupted. "So don't hold back. Show us your true form."   
  
Akira's smirk turned to a grin, his pale lips curving up over two canines, which were steadily growing longer and sharper - like the fangs of a serpent. His body started to glow and his aura pulsed lightly, before the clearing was engulfed in light, and I was forced to cover my eyes.   
  
When I opened my eyes once more, I was startled by the transformation. I had expected something at least remotely human, but found that I was looking into the eyes of a gigantic serpent.   
  
He was a dark, the color of a starless midnight, that same pitch black. He was that solid color, with the exception of his underbelly, which looked more like the color of blood. He had a cobra's hood, I noted, and I found myself wondering if he had the poison of one as well.   
  
Youko smirked. "So, Kuronue, Hiei, are you ready?"   
  
They nodded and started to fight the giant snake.   
  
I felt yet another rush of anger pass through me. I grabbed onto his arm as he started to turn away, and he gave me a quizzical look.   
  
"Kurama! What about me? I can fight too!"   
  
"Amaya, you need to stay back for this fight. When I tell you to, shoot him in the heart with an arrow." He said, as though he were commanding a small child.   
  
I glared. "You're bossing me around! I don't appreciate-"   
  
"Look, you wouldn't be able to keep up with a demon's pace anyways!" He exclaimed. He pointed a finger in the direction of the fight. I followed it and saw that it was nothing but flashes of light. My eyes widened, and Youko sighed.   
  
"You see now? Just do this, and you'll be doing the most important part of the battle. Killing Akira." He said.   
  
I looked back at him, and did my best to close my dropped jaw. "Fine." I let go of his arm, and he turned and dashed off to join the others in battle.   
  
The fight took several minutes. I'm sure that if I had been able to see what was happening, it would've been far more dramatic and exciting. But, I could only see those streaks of light and a few afterimages.   
  
All I know is that about seven or so minutes later, the flashes stopped, revealing a lightly damaged Youko, Kuronue and Hiei. And - to my heart's joy - a heavily bleeding Akira.   
  
"Now!" Youko exclaimed while he and the others tried to keep Akira from either running away or attacking them. In a sense, making sure that he didn't move too much while I shot him with my arrow.   
  
I quickly drew an arrow from my bow, and I noticed that my hands were trembling with anticipation. I took careful aim, and struggled to keep my aim on its mark.   
  
I had never practiced with a moving target before, and found it quite difficult to get a good aim on the serpent. But, when I thought that I had a decent enough chance of hitting him, I let my arrow fly.   
  
The time it took for the arrow to find its mark seemed like an eternity to me, but it did hit precisely where I had intended it to - Akira's black and wicked heart.   
  
The serpent cried out in pain, and it was a horrible sound. It sounded like both a screaming child, a hiss, and a shriek, all at the same time. He twisted about for a minute, trying to get the arrow out of his chest. He wriggled about and fell onto the ground and his golden eyes rolled into the back of his skull. Blood covered most of his body, and dripped freely from his mouth.   
  
He was _clearly_ dead.   
  
I stood frozen for a minute.   
  
He was…dead?   
  
Had I really just murdered someone?   
  
_No, not someone. A demon that would've killed me if I hadn't killed him first._ I mentally corrected myself. The next thing I knew, Kuronue had pulled me into his arms and gave me a twirl.   
  
"Amaya, you did it!" He exclaimed.   
  
I smiled and he set me down after hearing Youko's none-too-subtle growl.   
  
"You guys did most of the work." I said. "I merely shot him with a puny arrow! I shouldn't get any credit for this at all."   
  
"Damn straight." Hiei snorted, folding his arms across his chest.   
  
Youko glared at him. "Hiei, you knew that the only way to pierce his heart was with a magically charged arrow. And you also knew that piercing his heart was the only way to kill a demon from his class."   
  
I blinked in surprise, and Hiei glared at the kitsune.   
  
"Right. Whatever."   
  
I smiled at the silver-haired youkai. "Is that true, Kurama-kun?"   
  
He nodded, and walked over to me. He pulled me into his arms and smirked at me. "Very true."   
  
He leaned forward to kiss me, but Hiei cleared his throat before the kitsune's lips could claim mine. He glared at him.   
  
"What?"   
  
Hiei got an arrogant smirk on his face. "Suck face when we get home. We don't have time to wait for you two."   
  
I blushed, and Youko growled.   
  
Kuronue sighed. "Hiei…"   
  
"What? It's only true." The koorime said. "If we let them suck face right here and now, we may not get home until nightfall."   
  
He turned away and said over his shoulder. "I'm going now." He started to dash back towards the lair, and Kuronue ran after him, calling for the former to wait for him.   
  
That left only Youko and I by ourselves in the clearing. I took a step away from him and looked back at Akira's body.   
  
I could hardly believe how much had happened over the last two weeks alone. I had been so…normal.   
  
Now I knew that normal wasn't what I wanted to be. I wanted to be the person that I was now - probably as far from normal as one could be. Different from the princess that I was before. I was changed…I was more outgoing, much more outspoken and…just different in general.   
  
I realized that if I had never befriended Youko in the dungeon, and freed him, I wouldn't be standing here now. I'd be wed to Akira, and probably would've long since been his meal.   
  
Without the kitsune, I'd be dead.   
  
No more than a simple memory - most likely not even - in my 'family' which was not my own.   
  
I snapped out of my reminiscing when Youko wrapped his arms around my waist from behind.   
  
"What are you thinking about, Amaya?" He asked.   
  
"Everything." Was my quiet reply.   
  
He didn't say anything for a minute or so, and then let go of me.   
  
"Well, are you ready to go home?" He asked instead.   
  
I turned to face him, and realization dawned on me.   
  
Until now, I had had no real home. I had thought of my former estate as more of a prison, and the lair was more Youko's and Hiei's and Kuronue's home.   
  
But now…   
  
"Yes." I said, smiling at him. "I'm ready to go home."   
  
~*~   
  
**Author's Notes:** *cries* It's done! Finished! This was the last chapter! T__T I'm so sad! Well, I still have Youko's story to work on, so keep your eyes peeled for that one! Also, read some of my other stories in the meantime! They may not be as good as this one, but they're good enough to hold you over until Youko's story comes out.   
  
By the way, the way that I wrote this chapter, I can make a sequel if I wanted to. If that sounds like something that you'd like, leave me a review (or an e-mail) explaining what I could do for the plot. I can't think of anything.   
  
The one thing that could make me most happy right now, is if this story broke fifty reviews! Make it happen, people!   
  
**Thanks to all those who reviewed the last chapter!**   
  
**kimpfn**: Yes! I love Ayashi No Ceres! That's why I decided to make Amaya a tennyo!   
  
**TrU AzN cHiK**: ^___^ Yup! They kissed! And there are lots of variations of the tennyo story. I've always heard that it was a fisherman…I've never heard about it being a farmer. Hm. Well, you learn something new every day! Nope! I'm not Asian. I'm Irish! That looks really cool though…AZN. Kewl! *cough cough* I'm weird, I know.   
  
**Katie E.** : Well, thank you! I'm glad that it wasn't bad!   
  
**psychopath143**: I know! It made me so happy to bring him back. But that sexy beast can never die!!! *cough cough* Uh…ignore me, I'm crazy.   
  
**kitsune16**: *cowers* Don't hit me! I updated, I updated!   
  
**DarkVixenNisha**: Damn. I was hoping that it WOULDN'T come out strange. T___T Sorry!   
  
**Abby**: I love Ceres! I've only read the first graphic novel, but I'm glued anyways! Mmmm…Toya…*drools*   
  
**Kaija Katake**: Thanks for the review! Trust me, you aren't getting carried away. I would've reacted the same way.   
  
Wai! **Youko**, you reviewed my other story!! Thanks a whole bunch to you!!   
  
  
  
Well, like I said, keep your eyes peeled for the Youko side of the story! Put me on your author alert list to make it easier.   
  
Until then, ja ne!!   
  
  
  
  
  
The history behind Kokoro No Kaitou (for those who care):   
  
  
Kokoro no Kaitou was started by me when I was extremely bored in geometry (isn't it strange? My best ideas come to me in my most boring classes). I thought about the basic plot line, in which a princess would befriend Youko and break him out of jail, blah blah blah, they fall in love and live happily ever after. Well, THAT needed some work, so I made it a little more complicated. The princess is supposed to marry an ugly, fat old man. But she really wants to marry the hot and sexy Youko Kurama. Okay, maybe not marry him, but definitely be with him. Who wouldn't?   
  
Then, I decided on a name (my train of thought seems to run backwards at times). I checked through several Japanese name databases, and stumbled upon 'night rain'. It sounded cool, so that's how Amaya's name was born.   
  
Now, when I started writing the story, in the first chapter she explains that she didn't look like anyone else in her family. Originally, that was just to symbolize that she belonged more with the thieves. Then, I realized that I could go somewhere else with it. I decided to make her some kind of demon. "But what kind?" was the question posed to me by my best friend LuckySpirit. So, I thought about that a while too. In the middle of civics, it came to me. Ayashi no Ceres! Amaya could be a tennyo! And completely by coincidence, in the first chapter she says that her face was painted to look like the moon, which comes across as a sort of humor later on. Or irony.   
  
Well, I also wanted to make it dramatic somehow (normally, I write fluffy romance and comedies), so I started thinking about that. The next day, I came to school and exclaimed to LuckySpirit that I was going to kill Youko! Needless to say, she asked me what I was on, and if I needed to see the school nurse. Now, she hates Youko a lot, but she know how much I love the kitsune (who doesn't, other than her?). So, she was for the idea, but was a bit worried as to why I was going to kill him by my own free will. I explained that Amaya could bring him back, and she cursed at that. T___T She wanted him to stay dead!   
  
Either way, because of my dear love for our favorite kitsune, I could not think of a way to kill him. Thus, I dialed Lucky's number into the phone to ask for her help. We talked about it, got a little off subject (what would happen if one were to give Hiei refried Mexican food - don't ask) and we laid down the plan - Youko would die a horrible and bloody death by sword thrust! And you know the rest from there… 


End file.
